Thread: Genco blade

Originally Posted by guitstik

My suggestions will differ greatly from the majority of those here, but for starting out I would suggest getting three Arkansas stones, coarse, fine and extra fine. You could add the extra, extra fine stone if you wanted but it isn't necessary. Look here for a kit Arkansas Sharpening Stone Kits with 3 Stones
I can guarantee that others will chime in and tell you to get the Norton or Naniwa stones, those are all fine stones but I would stick with the natural stones and learn on them before moving on to the more "exotic" rocks. That's just my two cents, now I am broke from RAD overload.

Looks like you will be his broke two cents mentor if he goes that route, stick!

I personally would consider naturals the exotic stones. Because they are not always consistent and have a longer learning curve, but you are right about one thing; I'm gonna say buy the Naniwas! They are awesome, consistent stones. I would start with the 1k, 5k, and 8k.

Originally Posted by aa1192

I personally would consider naturals the exotic stones. Because they are not always consistent and have a longer learning, but you are right about one thing; I'm gonna say buy the Naniwas! They are awesome consistent stones. I would start with the 1k, 5k, and 8k.

If he goes that route all he needs is the Norton 4/8K. The 1K and 12K can come later. There aren't to many razors I haven't been able to hone to shave ready on that combo. Rarely do I hit either the 1K or the 12K.

Originally Posted by guitstik

My suggestions will differ greatly from the majority of those here, but for starting out I would suggest getting three Arkansas stones, coarse, fine and extra fine. You could add the extra, extra fine stone if you wanted but it isn't necessary. Look here for a kit Arkansas Sharpening Stone Kits with 3 Stones
I can guarantee that others will chime in and tell you to get the Norton or Naniwa stones, those are all fine stones but I would stick with the natural stones and learn on them before moving on to the more "exotic" rocks. That's just my two cents, now I am broke from RAD overload.

I started with Arkansas stones because I had then from many years of knife sharpening. They can put an awsome edge on a razor but they are slow and I could see an inexperienced person having problems. I now use Norton 1K, 4K/8K and a Naniwa 12KSS. I will soon be adding a black or trans Arkansas as a finisher.

I have the Norton 4/8, but prefer the Nanis. The 4k just has a very rough grainy feedback, but the 8k is great.

Originally Posted by john3126

I started with Arkansas stones because I had then from many years of knife sharpening. They can put an awsome edge on a razor but they are slow and I could see an inexperienced person having problems. I now use Norton 1K, 4K/8K and a Naniwa 12KSS. I will soon be adding a black or trans Arkansas as a finisher.

They are somewhat on the slow end of the spectrum but that is what makes them good teaching stones. Go slow and check progress every so often and learn what to look for. Someone new to honing won't know how far is to far and fast stones can eat a razor quickly. We had a member here recently that found out the hard way.

thanks for all of the input I am currently doing research on all of the stones listed here.

I know that I will not need one for a while as long as I strop correctly and take care the blade but I still like to know how to fix my own toys so this is all useful

Used correctly and a good stropping technique, you shouldn't need to put steel to stone for a long time. When it gets to the point that stropping has no effect then use a little CrO2 (Chromium Oxide) on the back side of your strop to "freshen" it up. Or else get something like this Vintage Razor Hone | eBay with a little shave soap, light pressure and the proper angle to freshen the edge.

Originally Posted by aa1192

I have the Norton 4/8, but prefer the Nanis. The 4k just has a very rough grainy feedback, but the 8k is great.

I found I had to lap the 4K side of the 4/8 for what seemed like 1/8" before it lost that porous, grainy feel.
Once there the change is surprising and it's great to work with.

Smooth Shaving...

MJC, I have lapped well past that point and then some during its use. It is just the feedback of the stone I think or maybe something is off about mine. The Naniwas just have this very smooth, soft sensation to them that I love. As with all things shaving related: YMMV and everyone will have their own preferences. The Norton is a workhorse and got me through a lot of razors when I first learned honing, but if I could go back I would just buy the Naniwas. The only thing I don't like about my Naniwas is my 1k seems to clog up with swarf quickly and needs to be cleaned often. Next time I need a bevel setter I'm gonna try the Chosera, but that maybe forever away. As for needing a 1k... if you have a shave ready razor, no you aren't going to need one yet. If you do buy Ebay razors it's gonna be an excellent investment and really cheap honewise. Sure, it is possible to set a bevel at the 4k level, but be prepared to be there a while.