Shapton Pro (Kuramaku) 5k
Middle range stone. Your preference.
- Thread starter albsat
- Start date
My Dalmore blue has been one of my favorite knife edges lately. Pretty similar to a soft fine washita.
5k chosera I don't need much work after this stone to finish
Coti or JNAT on Slurry for my mid range work.
Shapton glass 3k -> 6k HC. Leaves a shiny bevel all ready to mess up with some slurry.
Shapton Glass 3k to 10k before hitting the 30k for a smoking hot edge. Fine tune with naturals as required.
'Mid' suggests there is a starting point and an end point.
Unless I know where I have started, then I can't say where the middle is.
I use Jnats a lot, the Nagura progression takes most edges from a simple 1k-ish bevel set through to finish. Sometimes edges start on coarser stones though, so then the typical 'bevel setter' (1k) is more middle than start.
Honing on a Nagura Toishi is good. But not so very prudent these days.
For refinement post typical bevel set..
Aizu work well.
Some Aoto are ok.
Some Binsui are also ok.
Most Amakusa are a lil sketchy, but some are ok.
A good Coticule will have good range and work well for honing from bevel set through finish.
My main issue with most non-Jnat 'mid-range' naturals, when honing razors, is the inevitable lack of versatility. While I can make a slate or a Dalmore faster or seemingly coarser with slurry, I don't like using them that way for razors. I'd rather just use the stone straight without having to muck about with the endless variables and rogue particles their slurry brings into the picture.
Synths, I use a bunch. 2k, 3k, 4k, 5k, 6k, 8k. Shapton Pro, Shapton Glass, Nani Pro. Others too sometimes.
Overall though, I guess I don't really have a 'preference'. I'm not glued to 'one thing' and one thing only.
I just hone by mood and do what feels right in the moment.
Unless I know where I have started, then I can't say where the middle is.
I use Jnats a lot, the Nagura progression takes most edges from a simple 1k-ish bevel set through to finish. Sometimes edges start on coarser stones though, so then the typical 'bevel setter' (1k) is more middle than start.
Honing on a Nagura Toishi is good. But not so very prudent these days.
For refinement post typical bevel set..
Aizu work well.
Some Aoto are ok.
Some Binsui are also ok.
Most Amakusa are a lil sketchy, but some are ok.
A good Coticule will have good range and work well for honing from bevel set through finish.
My main issue with most non-Jnat 'mid-range' naturals, when honing razors, is the inevitable lack of versatility. While I can make a slate or a Dalmore faster or seemingly coarser with slurry, I don't like using them that way for razors. I'd rather just use the stone straight without having to muck about with the endless variables and rogue particles their slurry brings into the picture.
Synths, I use a bunch. 2k, 3k, 4k, 5k, 6k, 8k. Shapton Pro, Shapton Glass, Nani Pro. Others too sometimes.
Overall though, I guess I don't really have a 'preference'. I'm not glued to 'one thing' and one thing only.
I just hone by mood and do what feels right in the moment.
Thank you for reminding me to try the aizu. I have one that I set aside from cutlery because it wasn't toothy enough and too refined. Sounds like a good razor candidate.
Nice post. Sums up some thoughts I've been sitting with for a while.
Nice post. Sums up some thoughts I've been sitting with for a while.
What is a reasonable starting point for using an aizu for razor honing? Slurry, no slurry, finished coarse, fine...? Can they be soaked before use without disintegrating? Mine is super absorbent and doesn't seem to be very "splash and go".
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