Thread: Different Feeling - Finisher

Are you using magnification?

If so, look at the bevel and the edge. Make sure you are getting all the previous stria removed in your progression, otherwise no stone will give you a better edge.

Then max out your 8k, so you have a uniform 8k stria pattern and a super straight, chip free edge. Freshly lapping the stone face to remove all the swarf for your finish laps and jointing the edge and re-setting with 10-20 laps will straighten the edge.

After maxing out the 8k try 10-15 laps on Chrome Oxide, you should have a very nice shaving edge. Then do the same for the 10k and see if it improves.

A lot will depend on the condition of the razor.

I don’t have the Naniwa 8k, but I have both the 10k and the 12k (modern white version). The only 8k that I really am OK with the edge from is the Shapton Glass High Carbon (HC, the grey one). There’s not a lot of difference in the edge feel between the 10k and 12k Naniwa. I do not believe that they are the same stone though for whatever reason, the 10k is softer and polishes well, much like folks describe the old 12k which was pink I believe.

I did a comparison (here I think) between the Naniwa 10k and the Suehiro 20k, and the difference in the edge feel was difficult to determine, the S20k edge did marginally better on some parts of my face, but overall the difference was not much. I think you’ll feel a difference going from N8k -> N10k, but that could be dependent on your beard hardness too.

I don’t have a Naniwa 10k but do have an old King Icebear 10k. I have always though the finish was very similar to my Naniwia 12k pink super stone.

I recently picked up a new white Naniwia 12k and feel it is not the same stone as the pink and does not polish, (near mirror) as well as the pink 12k.

I also am a big fan of the Naniwia Fuji Snow White 8k that can polish similar to the pink 12k. Really though for me it does not matter that much as I use the 8k as the jump off for a natural finisher, Slate, Ark or Jnat.

There are several post here and else where, woodworking and knife fora, that rate the King Icebear 10k, Naniwia Snow White, 8k and Naniwia Pro 10k, at a higher finish than labeled.

I doubt there would be all that much difference between a 10 and 12k.

Agree, the only reason that I bought the modern 12k was as kind of a ‘reference’ stone.

Marty, if you’re interested in the 8ks, try the 8k Shapton Glass High Carbon. I loaned mine to Brian Brown for a couple of weeks and it came back thinner so he must have liked it!