Beginner Hone Setup Opinions

[BlenheimBadger94]

Hello Everyone! So I decided to order my own hones and I am wondering (before I order) what people think of the setup.
The use of these will be upkeep of my razors, and bringing vintage razors to shaving order.

-King 1000 Grit Whetstone $25.65

-Norton 4000/8000combo $68.49

-Along with my three barber hones: (Shumate Razor Hone, The American Hone, Dubl Duck Dry Hone 2 sided)

I listed the prices because this is about the most I can spend. I would in the future of course like some finishing stones etc, however, as a beginning set for the purposes above, what does everyone think?? Am I forgetting anything or covered? Good Choices?

Thank you!!

 

[Danricgro]

Good choices. Lapping film is a very good, inexpensive alternative.

 

[noahpictures]

Good idea getting a dedicated bevel setter. DMT 1200 is also nice and Chosera 1K is my favorite.

I honed on lapping film for a long time and it was a great learning experience. Now I hone on mostly on coticules. Not a fan of Norton because you can get lapping film for cheaper or a coticule and you don't have to soak them.

Chosera 1K or DMT 1200 grit
Lapping film or coticule with slurry stone (40 to 50 mm by 150 mm plus).

 

[Legion]

I started with the same two hones that you have chosen, plus a Chinese finishing stone. That setup served me well for quite a while. Barber hones never really did it for me.

 

[jpcwon]

Those are good choices... I started out with a King 1k and Norton 4/8, and it served me well for a while berfore I went to naturals. You may wish to get something a little finer after a while though (like a 12k or something like that)....

 

[Doc226]

That's a good start for the majority of the work. You can shave off the 8k but most prefer a finer finish.

 

[Gamma]

That's a good start, but I would swap the Norton combo for the Naniwa SS 3/8k combo.

 

[MarkO]

Hi mate, if it were me I'd get the 1K chosera bevel setting and coticule + slurry stone. It's all that is needed.

Lol that is until you get the bug and start collection of them haha

 

[Brooksie967]

That's a good start, but I would swap the Norton combo for the Naniwa SS 3/8k combo.

+1 they're just easier and nicer feeling. splash and go, no soaking, easy lapping, etc.

I'd agree with the coticule but I don't think they're great for novices.

 

[smalltank]

1200grit DMT diamond plate
Coticule either slate or combo..use with oil..no need for slurry stone
I have been using these items for bevel setting(DMT) to sharpening and polishing at the sametime(coticule)

 

[Brooksie967]

The tri slate from AJ on ebay is another great option that you can go to right after the 1k. I personally love the slurry stones with it. The 'dragons tongue' can be used to remove the 1k scratches when you use it with a heavy slurry and it does so very quickly. The purple slate, IMHO, produces a better feeling edge than the naniwa 12k .

 

[jrp316]

I'm pretty much a lapping film guy (I'm cheap), so I would recommend that. Although, I'd say the idea of getting a dedicated bevel setter (1k stone or so) is a good idea as well. For simple upkeep of your existing razor fleet, you could get by with either your barber hones (mostly 8k to 10k grit) or some 1 micron film. It looks like you've got the right idea for your setup, but like the others, I'd recommend something for a finisher. I've shaved directly off of 3 micron, which is roughly equivalent to an 8k stone, and I didn't care much for it. It shaved well enough, but the edge was a tad harsh for my liking.

 

[CharlieFoxtrot]

I'm pretty much a lapping film guy (I'm cheap), so I would recommend that. Although, I'd say the idea of getting a dedicated bevel setter (1k stone or so) is a good idea as well. For simple upkeep of your existing razor fleet, you could get by with either your barber hones (mostly 8k to 10k grit) or some 1 micron film. It looks like you've got the right idea for your setup, but like the others, I'd recommend something for a finisher. I've shaved directly off of 3 micron, which is roughly equivalent to an 8k stone, and I didn't care much for it. It shaved well enough, but the edge was a tad harsh for my liking.

Unless it's a known barber's hone, I'd assume it to be in the 6-8k range.

 

[Slash McCoy]

That will work okay. I would hold off on the finisher for a bit while you learn to get the most out of your 8k. Good technique on a N8k will give you an edge you can shave from, comfortably if not spectacularly. Then spring for a finisher. A common finishing stone with that setup would be a C12k. You might also go with 1u film.

My actual recommendation would be to get yourself a set of diamond hones from Harbor Freight for edge repair, maybe a DMT1200 for general bevel setting, and go with a progression of films from there. Super cheap, Super Easy, Super Sharp.

 

[SliceOfLife]

Should work fine. I know a lot of guys who have complaints about the nortons, but you'll find that with any <$100 stone, and some people even dislike the top dollar stones too. I personally don't like low-mid grit synths in general, but they are easy to pick up and use. Most people who dislike them learn to hate them because of their needing various levels of soaking or not soaking, periodic leveling, stuff like that. The actual honing on them is rather straightforward. I started out with a similar setup using DMT's (600/1200 to 8k to swaty), and honestly, I saw much more improvement in my edges upgrading the finisher than I did switching around the intermediate hones (There really isn't a better beveler out there that I've found than a DMT, some guys like chosera, but give me the DMT any day of the week). I tried a LOT of synthetics and a few naturals in place of the 8k DMT, and really there's not that much difference in my opinion. Speed varies, and care for the stones varies, but the end result doesn't change much at all. The only stone I wound up using there other than the DMT is a coticule. Though right now I'm playing around with Botan Slurry there, may start using it on some honings for that stage.

So in short, you should be set just fine with what you've bought, and the next thing I'd recommend buying (if you want to buy more stones) would be an upgraded finisher. A coticule is a solid option since it gives you both an upgraded finisher and an alternative method of intermediate honing (or even beveling, with a bit of work, though few people use them for that).

 

[BlenheimBadger94]

Thank you so much to everyone here! I went ahead and ordered the King 1000 and Norton 4/8k. Now on to the polishing stone!

I would so much love to have a nice belgian coticule but I simply cannot afford one at the rates they seem to go at.

My alternative looks like it might be this: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/354163-Experience-with-this-Guangxi-hone

I know there are probably superior finishing stones like a nice coticule, cutting faster etc, however, as a beginner to honing I am thinking it might be a good choice.

Your experienced thoughts my friends??

 

[Brooksie967]

Should work fine. I know a lot of guys who have complaints about the nortons, but you'll find that with any <$100 stone, and some people even dislike the top dollar stones too. I personally don't like low-mid grit synths in general, but they are easy to pick up and use. Most people who dislike them learn to hate them because of their needing various levels of soaking or not soaking, periodic leveling, stuff like that. The actual honing on them is rather straightforward. I started out with a similar setup using DMT's (600/1200 to 8k to swaty), and honestly, I saw much more improvement in my edges upgrading the finisher than I did switching around the intermediate hones (There really isn't a better beveler out there that I've found than a DMT, some guys like chosera, but give me the DMT any day of the week). I tried a LOT of synthetics and a few naturals in place of the 8k DMT, and really there's not that much difference in my opinion. Speed varies, and care for the stones varies, but the end result doesn't change much at all. The only stone I wound up using there other than the DMT is a coticule. Though right now I'm playing around with Botan Slurry there, may start using it on some honings for that stage.

So in short, you should be set just fine with what you've bought, and the next thing I'd recommend buying (if you want to buy more stones) would be an upgraded finisher. A coticule is a solid option since it gives you both an upgraded finisher and an alternative method of intermediate honing (or even beveling, with a bit of work, though few people use them for that).

Here we go, now coticules are upgraded finishers? I thought I upgraded when I got into Jnats. Coticules are very handy prepolishers, i'll give you that one.

 

[Fuzzy Chops]

Thank you so much to everyone here! I went ahead and ordered the King 1000 and Norton 4/8k. Now on to the polishing stone!

I would so much love to have a nice belgian coticule but I simply cannot afford one at the rates they seem to go at.

My alternative looks like it might be this: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/354163-Experience-with-this-Guangxi-hone

I know there are probably superior finishing stones like a nice coticule, cutting faster etc, however, as a beginner to honing I am thinking it might be a good choice.

Your experienced thoughts my friends??

A good option for minimal cost would be a Chromium Oxide loaded strop. You can make one yourself with balsa from the hobby store and buy some CrOx
http://thesuperiorshave.com/Pastes.html
or you can put the CrOx on an old leather or fabric belt.

or just buy the Whipped Dog kit
http://www.whippeddog.com/products/view/poor-man-strop-kit

 

[buca3152]

Chosera 1k and dmt 1200 work great IMO. Norton 4k is my workhorse. The 8k as was said can put a good shaving edge on. And repeating what was said earlier, if the 8k finish isnt any good, the finisher wont make a difference. Pastes are great if you have the edge where it should be and for touchup. Although I find Im getting much better edges and dont find it necesary to use anymore. I started out with nortons, and branched out like everybody else. naniwa 12k, cnat, jnat coti/bbw combo lapping film etc etc. I consider it like a buffet, try a little of each.

 

[BJJ]

yeah, like our mate said, a chinese 12k is a nice buy, not expensive, and will give you a natural stone finish, which in my opinion is better than synthetics.