high grit stones, what's the benefit

[Mink]

I read all the comments on high grit stones and get all excited about what is possible with my pretty new razors. Once I'm done shaving with a razor that hasn't seen this treatment, I can't help wonder what I'm missing. My razors are plenty sharp to cut whiskers - and me - very easily. Even in inexperienced hands - with straight razors - I can get a very nice edge on my 8K Naniwa and about a 100, or a little more laps on my strop. How much better or longer lasting would the edge be if I also honed on say a 12K Naniwa?

This is my question. Do the higher grit stones get me significantly more shaves than stopping at the 8K stone and then stropping?

Do the higher grit stones give you a few shaves before it becomes little different than an edge that was only honed up to 8K or is it significantly different. I understand that the first few shaves will be on a sharper blade, but how long does that sharpness difference really hold up?

I don't have a heavy beard and shave every other day.

 

[Disburden]

higher grit hones are more about polishing the edge than making them sharper thus removing harshness from the edge. Imo, natural stones are way better at this than synthetics.

Also, i don't care for the naniwa 12K, it feels like the edge chips easily from it.

 

[azmark]

I've personally have never honed using Naniwas but had a couple razors come honed from them and all from the 10K naniwa. That being said I've read a lot of comments saying the 10K naniwa (especially the chosera) provide a much better edge than the 12K but I'm sure YMMV.

I have shaved off an 8K stone (Norton) and it wasn't THAT bad but it wasn't terrible. A finer stone or finishing stone isn't going to sharpen much besides remove scratch patterns and polish the edge to a comfortable shave.

I personally don't think the higher the grit stone the better either. I've had razors honed on Shapton 30K and was not disappointed but wasn't impressed to what I was expecting for such an expensive stone. I've preferred edges from coticules and japanese naturals by far.

Important thing is to try and get some razors honed by folks who use a few finishers and see what you like in case you want to look into a finisher.

 

[LessLemming]

(especially the chosera)

Nah, personally I would prefer the Naniwa Super 10k anytime

The Naniwa Superstone 8.000 is a superb finishing stone! It gives a very neat polish
and quite a good shavable edge. And it is an easy stone to use! Honestly, it is my favourite stone of all times.

Yet there are a couple of stones that give better edges/improve the edge further.
But if you add pastes to the equation, like a 0.5µm diamond or cr2o3,
you simply can not get really better than that.

I mean you probably won´t be able to tell the difference between a Naniwa 8k plus 0.5µ diamond and a Shapton 16k + 0.5µm diamond,
BUT you may be able to tell the difference between an SS 8k edge and a Shapton 16k edge.

So concluding the higher grit stones are recommendable if you try to avoid pasting (for whatever reason).

If you consider going one step ahead of your Naniwa 8k
try either the Super 10k or go Shapton 16k.
In the natural range, try a Coticule or if you can afford an Esher, or Nakayama.

That being said: You will never need anything past your nice Superstone 8.000.
But many of is WANT it!

 

[wdwrx]

you know... as I think about it, part of the OP's original question was "does an edge last longer?"

I can't help but think that an edge coming off a relativey lower grit hone might just last longer than something coming off a crazy fine hone, just because the edge would be more robust. Not speaking from experience mind you, but just thinking about the geometry of a very finely honed blade compared to one less finely honed.

 

[buca3152]

I agree the finer the stone the faster the edge degrades. If we could shave off the 8 we would hone less. But if you have the hone why not use it. 12 k naniwa gives a great edge IMO. I will try a jnat or coticule one of these days.

 

[pmaster]

I read all the comments on high grit stones and get all excited about what is possible with my pretty new razors. Once I'm done shaving with a razor that hasn't seen this treatment, I can't help wonder what I'm missing. My razors are plenty sharp to cut whiskers - and me - very easily. Even in inexperienced hands - with straight razors - I can get a very nice edge on my 8K Naniwa and about a 100, or a little more laps on my strop. How much better or longer lasting would the edge be if I also honed on say a 12K Naniwa?

This is my question. Do the higher grit stones get me significantly more shaves than stopping at the 8K stone and then stropping?

Do the higher grit stones give you a few shaves before it becomes little different than an edge that was only honed up to 8K or is it significantly different. I understand that the first few shaves will be on a sharper blade, but how long does that sharpness difference really hold up?

I don't have a heavy beard and shave every other day.

This is not a direct answer to your question, but thought I'd give my input anyway, just in case

I was also wondering about a next step after the naniwa 8k. Wid was nice enough to send me a 1um film which I now use after the 8k. For me the difference was quite big, I feel it is mmmmmuch smoother. Can't comment yet on the difference for durability, but it sure feels better shaving (right off the 8k + cr0x I would say it was ok, but not super smooth).

So about the 12k? Not sure, but you could try and send razors to some fellow members to "taste" a few edges and make up your mind (and check durability as well)

 

[Gamma]

I don't know who's honing what here - but edges I do on a Jnat last as long as they do off any other stone.


Greater edge refinement from a higher-grit stone can/will allow the blade to cut better and, as noted, more smoothly.

I prefer the 10k C to the 12k SS too. Neither of them really floated my boat as a final finisher though.

 

[Kentos]

I don't think a more refined edge will last any longer or shorter. I also don't think a highly polished bevel is necessarily a good thing either. My hazy Jnat edges are plenty sharp and nicely comfortable for me- although I do strop on nanogrit sprays as a final finish.

 

[wdwrx]

here's what I know, going on three years after my response: my edges finished with my crazy slow Okuda Aisa last me 3 months of daily shaving before they need a touch of linen, at which point they deteriorate to unshavebility within the next 1/2 dozen shaves. Not sure if the edge has reached a tipping point and can't be recovered through any amount of stropping, or the linen degrades the edge to the point that I no longer enjoy shaving with the blade. (aside: I've decided that linen leaves a not fine enough edge for me, and never use it until my edges are no longer pleasingly sharp... make of that what you will)

 

[Alum of Potash]

Dare I bring up the word "pyramid" at the very end?

Edit: or does this risk to be "over the top"?

 

[wdwrx]

Dare I bring up the word "pyramid" at the very end?...

hehehe... Is that still around?

 

[Alum of Potash]

Only at the end my friend... Here we're talking post-13k bring-down. Sharpness yielding to smoothness and not the other way around.

 

[Gamma]

No mirrored bevel fetish here either, Im good with polish or haze, so long as the edge is doing what I want it to.

 

[Doc226]

I agree with Gamma, my TI was honed on a JNAT and it is 110+ shaves strong

 

[Brooksie967]

higher grit hones are more about polishing the edge than making them sharper thus removing harshness from the edge. Imo, natural stones are way better at this than synthetics.

Also, i don't care for the naniwa 12K, it feels like the edge chips easily from it.

Just don't be saying that on the other forum. I completely agree with you though!!

 

[smalltank]

is a 15k Naniwa REALLY "better" than a Jnat...well..no 2 natural stone edges can be compared as no 2 stones are the same...synthetics..they CAN be the same but the 2 razors would need to be identical as well..so..YMMV..also depends on whos doin the honing and how much experience...