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it is a large leap and probably loads to say on the matter but in a nutshell…Can i jump from 3k to 12k finish?
ie 1k+3k nani combo to Chinese 12k? because this is what i'm thinking of buying.
ps i'm a newbrit but already learned heaps from you guys. Thankyou
You can BUT
It will take a while to polish out 3k scratch with a 12k.
A new honer should have at least one intermediate step. JMO
I would get an 8k to manage the jump.
ye you're probably right. i'm on a real tight budget and probably trying to get too far too soon. don't mind putting the extra work in though. i have however got a shave from a fairly poor 1k-4k stone followed by quite a bit of work on a welsh slate. close shave but pulls quite a bit. thanks for the swift reply btw
I'm with Dave. I know Glen and Lynn did a thing with 1K and finish. There is a thread on it, I believe it is called one stone honing. When I get to that kind of a skill level I will be able to do magic too. In the mean time for those of us with intermediate or beginning skill sets the middle stones make life easier. I go 1K, 4K, 8K, then finisher. Some even put a 12K before the finisher.
Doh! gonna have to wait a while then. or send it out for a sharpen perhaps. many thanks
When you factor in the cost of hones and the time consumed by learning to hone it is far cheaper to send your blades out. There are many member here that just do a little touch up and then send their razors out ever now and again. There are enough guys that hone, that most people are a few days post from the nearest pro.
yeah wise words, thanks. i do love the challenge though and feel that the £15 or whatever spent on a sharpen is a good chunk of a nice new stone. wot a dilemma…guess i'm just tight too eh
I go 1k to can't. Its not different than going 1k to using a coticule for the rest. Just build up a slurry and dilute as you go. It does take a little bit longer than a coticule but not much. There is a member here goes by the name of "Steel" or something like that. He came up with a great way to do it with the chinese 12k. My first hone was a coticule. So its not impossible to learn just might take a little longer to get really good edges.
there y'go..that's more encouraging. must be the warmer FL climate. i'll try and find that thread, thanks
If you are going to maintain an already sharp razor you only need a 12 k tho the C12k is not really a 12k.
Read up on bevel setting and make sure that is perfect. The rest is just taking the scratches out from that and refining the edge. I shaved of a 8k for a year before moving up. One Chinese 12k can be different than another. Quality control thing. This is why they are so cheap. Not saying they are bad, just hard to say what each person gets out of it is the same.
In short, you could do it, but how long will it take and what is the real finish grit ? The key is in the basics. Bevel set, hone, finish. 1,3,8 or 1,4,8 or 1,3,5,8 what ever. Then there is polish :<0)
hm…no short cuts really. anyway thanks vm guys, all good food 4 thought. late now my end, bye
Just get a norton 4 / 8. Your willing to put iin the extra effort so you can set the bevel on a slurried 4k and finish on the 8k.
hi guys, thanks for all your advice. i've taken the plunge this morning and ordered a wusthof 3k-8k. seems fitting cz i'm shaving with a vintage carl wusthof that's been handed down to me recently. i don't think it's particularly special but after tidying up a bit it's in good condition having not been used an awful lot over the years. can't wait to get on the new hone with it…will let you know what results i get. completely hooked on all this stuff already….ace! btw the combo was £67… and that's a big deal at the mo…so fingers crossed
if you have the welsh slate that COULD be used as your finisher, depending on which one. i know some guys really like them and some dont, there are a lot of threads about them. the issue with natural stones is that they all differ and grit ratings seem to be a bit subjective, its probably worth giving what you already have a go before committing to a 12k as well.
Also it is worth seeing if there are any members in your area who have a bit of honing experience who would be prepared to meet up with you as that willl speed up your learning and also may provide an opportunity to try some stones out.
I second what's been said here. The Welsh Slates can be very good hones, and I don't see the point in getting a C12K (which could also not perform to your expectations). I'm not going to claim that AJ's Welsh hones are universally liked, or consistent, but I found that they can be excellent finishers. Also, if you use them in progression, things speed up.Quote:
Originally Posted by edhewitt
I prefer to progress from a set bevel to the Dragon's Tongue, then the LM and then the unidentified grey slate. I then move back to the LM on pure water for a few laps, as I find that smooths the edge out a bit. This may not be the best protocol, but it works for me.
well it is actually a DT and i may now have more success with it after the 8k… WTS
I shaved for several years off a 8k clay King. Nothing wrong with those edges.Quote:
Originally Posted by 10Pups
Only cost about 20$ to send it to someone to sharpen it right, if you haven't had one done by those who know how then you might never get to experience a great shave , so if your short on funds , it's way cheaper to send it out and it will be right. Tc
:tuQuote:
Originally Posted by tcrideshd
For one thing having a Truly Shave Ready Razor, when you do decide to learn to hone you will have a baseline to go by. You can also ask the honer to finish on what type of stone you will use. That would allow you to compare Apples to Apples. If you are finishing on a Naniwa 12k and the honer uses say a Zulu Grey you would be comparing Apples to Oranges. The same goes for using a pasted strop after honing. If you don't have one then ask that the razor Not Be Stropped on a Pasted Strop/there again Apples to Apples.
Just my two bits worth (that's 25 cents) :w
If your goal is to maintain your already shave-ready blade(s), stick with the 12k, if you really want to go down the rabbit hole with honing and stones, get a tried and true progression of stones. You have the 1k, as others have said, you will need at least 2 more intermediate grits. When I first started honing, I had taken edges that were maybe a little too far gone for a simple refresh on the 12k all the way down to the 1k, then up the grits, and never achieved a shave-ready edge... It opens Pandora's box... If you can make due with the 12k for now, wait until you can get the proper setup before you go down that road. It's ultimately worth it to know you can do it all yourself, but you'll be glad that you have all the right tools when you start.
It takes a little effort but it's not too hard and its well worth it in my opinion. Here is the thread which also links a couple of videos on how to do itQuote:
Originally Posted by cosperryan
http://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...-cnat-ect.html
Heirloom is a different story. I always encourage learning and progressing but for a piece of personal history I would send it out.
Heirloom…kinda. i found a similar one that last sold for £30 so it might be worth £50 with the orig box. I've been very careful with it so far. Thanks for the Cnat thread. i'd been trying that method with the welsh slate and like i say it takes ages and the shave still pulls quite a bit. came across some good throw away lengths of balsa wood today so i'm now thinking of knocking up some flat/paddle type strops for pasting. honestly not obsessed!