I had been mulling around the idea of draining my savings to purchase a full honing setup because I really do enjoy the work and craft involved, but just couldn’t justify spending a thousand bucks for a 4 stone setup with another couple hundred for a Diaflat and all that. So I started with a Shapton 1.5k and did a base hone on some old straights. It’s a nice stone for sure. But all I had was that and an old King 1000/3000 laying around. So I scoured the internet for quite some time. Almost giving up and just dropping the grand for some Naniwa Chosera stones, before I came across Dalstrong. I had liked the knives they make but had no idea they had a premium whetstone setup. So for $140 I got a 4 stone setup with a nice base, rust eraser (which is just a block of calcium carbonate) and nagura stone. I wanted to make this post to show other people who may be curious about them. I haven’t used them and will update this post this weekend as I do. But so far I’m really happy with the quality of the packaging! Here are some photos of what you get with the Premium Whetstone Kit with the 1000/6000 stones. They also offer a 10% discount for joining their VIP mailer. If you have any questions let me know. I know that I’m not expecting a super high quality product or results here but for the money, it was worth the shot for me. Also, these are huge stones. 8 3/4” x 3 1/2”
Dalstrong whetstones
- Thread starter Mikesmustache
- Start date
I don’t have any experience with the stones personally. Honestly I’ve never even heard of them. But thinking it costs $1000 to get a set up is not right.
Mine cost $150 for everything but a finisher, and I’ve been using it for 10+ years.
Chosera are one of the most expensive lines and even those would be hard to spend $1000 on and use everything you bought.
Mine cost $150 for everything but a finisher, and I’ve been using it for 10+ years.
Chosera are one of the most expensive lines and even those would be hard to spend $1000 on and use everything you bought.
Steve56
Ask me about shaving naked!
Agree with Ian, $1,000 is way overkill for razor stones. And a 1k/6k progression is a classic knife stone progression, razor honers usually prefer a closer grit spacing. And you’d still need another stone finer than 6k.
Mark at CKTG will make deals on 3-stone sets of popular stones, Shapton, Naniwa SS, that will get you set economically. The Shapton Glass G7 series would also make a fine smaller sized razor set economically. Or just get a decent bevel setter and a decent coticule or jnat.
Mark at CKTG will make deals on 3-stone sets of popular stones, Shapton, Naniwa SS, that will get you set economically. The Shapton Glass G7 series would also make a fine smaller sized razor set economically. Or just get a decent bevel setter and a decent coticule or jnat.
There's not much info on the website. It doesn't show anything finer than 8k.
You never mentioned what 4 stones you actually got other than the 1000/6000.
Have to also agree that 1000 is a ridiculous number for a set up. Not sure where you came up with it.
I hope you are happy with them cause that's all that matters.
You never mentioned what 4 stones you actually got other than the 1000/6000.
Have to also agree that 1000 is a ridiculous number for a set up. Not sure where you came up with it.
I hope you are happy with them cause that's all that matters.
Where did you guys come up with the $1000 price tag? The collection he posted above is 89.99 and the 3k/8k is 59.99.
Steve56
Ask me about shaving naked!
I think that the other 2 stones are the rust eraser and conditioning stone.
Naniwa Choseras are pricy. The 10,000 is usually between $250-300USD, the 400 is usually $60-70USD and most people enjoy having between one and four go-between stones.
There are other options than Chosera that are quality hones for much less.
Even if considering Chosera's he has only 4 and nothing over 8k so no, not 1000.
And are we to consider these new stones are comparable in some way to Chosera's?
We are talking apples and wheelbarrows here.
- Thread starter
- #9
Yeah I’ve found that a 1k Naniwa is over $100 and by the time you get to the 12k you are at least around a couple hundred. Then you have to get a diaflat at $200 bucks. That’s where I was saying it was around $1k to get the best setup. Which I do want to be above the curve when I’m putting my blades to it. No sense in grinding off the life of a razor with a junk stone. And I got the 1k/6k plus the 3k/8k. While I will probably still get a 12k, I’m into this $200 including my Shapton. I think that’s a pretty good deal is all I’m saying. They don’t have a lot of info on their website but the stones do come with some info in the booklets. If someone is looking for a quality budget setup, I think this setup is worth checking out. If someone finds different please chime in 
I have a Chosera 1k Shapton pro 5k and 8k and a coticule which had been my setup for years.I also have Atoma 600 and Atoma 1200 diamond plates which I use for correcting abused razors and new Gold Dollars occasionally now and a lot in the past. In the first few years I experimented with many stones but always came back to the kit I use now. I have honed many razors and the stones barely have any wear so they will likely outlive me.
I think if I bought them all new it would be around $500.
I wouldn’t buy a set of Choseras unless I was making straight razors and honing a pile every day 5days a week. They are very good stones and perfect for a commercial setting but for the hobbyist they are pure overkill as a set.
I think if I bought them all new it would be around $500.
I wouldn’t buy a set of Choseras unless I was making straight razors and honing a pile every day 5days a week. They are very good stones and perfect for a commercial setting but for the hobbyist they are pure overkill as a set.
Yeah I’ve found that a 1k Naniwa is over $100 and by the time you get to the 12k you are at least around a couple hundred. Then you have to get a diaflat at $200 bucks. That’s where I was saying it was around $1k to get the best setup. Which I do want to be above the curve when I’m putting my blades to it. No sense in grinding off the life of a razor with a junk stone. And I got the 1k/6k plus the 3k/8k. While I will probably still get a 12k, I’m into this $200 including my Shapton. I think that’s a pretty good deal is all I’m saying. They don’t have a lot of info on their website but the stones do come with some info in the booklets. If someone is looking for a quality budget setup, I think this setup is worth checking out. If someone finds different please chime in
There is no need for a diamond plate. You can use w/d paper for very little money and get the same results.
There's another 200 for yet another stone.
It seems nobody can attest to the quality of these stones as well. Inexpensive is great so long as the quality is good as well. If they are inferior then where's the benefit?
- Thread starter
- #12
I guess I’m coming across in the wrong way. I’m not saying these are high quality stones. I’m not saying you paid $1k for your setup. What I’m saying is this: I have been “into” straights for about 2 years. During that time, one of the bigger problems I’ve had is finding stones in my budget that I didn’t have to make compromises that I wasn’t comfortable with. I didn’t want to start honing on a 2” wide stone and worry if my x-y pattern was causing me problems. I didn’t want to have to have blades sit on my shelf until I felt I was good enough to work with them with what I had to hone with. I didn’t want to stop buying blades because I blew my budget on stones that guys that have been honing for 40 years use. I wanted something that worked for me, as a newer guy that was trying to weed through the convoluted bs that some people put out there. So I’m happy that a few of you got quality stones that fit your budget. Here are some stones that I feel like are useful to someone with my concerns. Naniwa Chosera and Shapton Pro and Jnats and DMT all have their places for people. I’m bringing these stones to light because I haven’t heard anyone talk about them on this forum and because it took me a long time to find something that made sense for what I wanted. So maybe, just maybe, someone else that is looking for what I found can be saved a little trouble and a little money along the way. That is what I am saying.
Steve56
Ask me about shaving naked!
If they work for you, that’s all that matters. You are talking to hone nerds so the replies are expected. There’s a reason that people have gravitated towards certain stones for razors, even though they may have to acquire them over time if their budget is constrained.
Let’s review the qualities that a synthetic razor hone must have.
1. It must be fine. If it isn’t fine enough, nothing else matters. 6k is not fine enough for most people. 8k is kind of the lower end. It’s fine enough for some but not for others.
2. It has to have a narrow grit distribution. If the grit in a 6k stone ranges from 500 to 11,500 In equal amounts (average 6,000) it is not a good razor hone. It may be a good knife hone. If the grit ranges from 5500 to 6500, that’s a much better 6k stone for razors. Poorly graded grit is one way to make a cheap synthetic hone.
3. It needs to have a good matrix that doesn’t shed coarse chunks of material.
4. It needs to have a good amount of grit in it because you can’t push very hard on razors, unlike knives. Another way to make a cheap synth is to use half the grit that a good stone has in it.
IOW, There’s a reason that cheap hones are cheap. The razor forums are full of folks who spent twice what a good razor set costs by buying twice, working their way up from the ‘bargains’ that aren’t - for razors.
It also helps if they don’t fail with use (Looking at you Snow White and Chosera). There was a fellow trying to sell a 10k Chosera with the usual crazing. No one wanted it at $100.
Let’s review the qualities that a synthetic razor hone must have.
1. It must be fine. If it isn’t fine enough, nothing else matters. 6k is not fine enough for most people. 8k is kind of the lower end. It’s fine enough for some but not for others.
2. It has to have a narrow grit distribution. If the grit in a 6k stone ranges from 500 to 11,500 In equal amounts (average 6,000) it is not a good razor hone. It may be a good knife hone. If the grit ranges from 5500 to 6500, that’s a much better 6k stone for razors. Poorly graded grit is one way to make a cheap synthetic hone.
3. It needs to have a good matrix that doesn’t shed coarse chunks of material.
4. It needs to have a good amount of grit in it because you can’t push very hard on razors, unlike knives. Another way to make a cheap synth is to use half the grit that a good stone has in it.
IOW, There’s a reason that cheap hones are cheap. The razor forums are full of folks who spent twice what a good razor set costs by buying twice, working their way up from the ‘bargains’ that aren’t - for razors.
It also helps if they don’t fail with use (Looking at you Snow White and Chosera). There was a fellow trying to sell a 10k Chosera with the usual crazing. No one wanted it at $100.
I was answering the question I thought alex1921 was asking.
My dream setup is six or seven polycarbonate plates to dedicate to specific grits of lapping film and printer paper with various honing compounds when the urge strikes.
I’d like to know more about your method with printer paper. Could you elaborate for me please? Thanks in advance
Steve56
Ask me about shaving naked!
The printer paper goes under the film to slightly convex and soften the edge IIRC.
Ahh yeah ok. Thanks
Use either restickable or non-wrinkling glue stick to stick paper on glass, hard plastic, or a granite reference plate and then apply a low-moisture buffing compound or Norton 0.5 micron diamond paste on top of the paper and use it for loaded stropping. Seems to have less give than mylar backed lapping film at the expense of less uniform abrasive dispersal.
I have adhesive backed label paper and I was wondering cbn would work on it.
- Thread starter
- #20
Thanks for the info. There is a lot to digest there that I hadn’t been able to put together myself. It’s difficult to weed through all of the information out there and put it to good use when you just want to dive right in. I will update everyone as I go with these stones.
