New to honing. If you could start over which stones would you buy?

[Badkarma]

I want to start honing my straights I will buy 4 or 5 learning straights. I see a lot of people with stones they no longer use or don’t like. If you could start again what would you buy for a complete set. I would like to do it right the first time. I want quality not cheap, yet I don’t want to end up with stuff I won’t use. I want to do it right the first time. I don’t have cheap straights and I don’t want cheap stones. Please help me learn and understand. Thank you

 

[eKretz]

This is going to depend on your goals. I like to play with rocks... So I've never bought a hone that I didn't like, and I try to use them all. For a fellow who had only a goal of honing razors with the minimum necessary you're going to get recommendations for all sorts of things, because there are many roads leading to Rome...

Myself, I'd say to get a good synthetic bevel setting hone like a Chosera 1k or a Shapton 1.5k, a decent midrange hone around 5k, and a good 8k - Shapton or Naniwa (Snow White has a good rep). Then choose your finishing route - synthetic or natural, and choose what you want from there. Naniwa 12k is very good for synth, and for naturals there are many choices - Thuri, Ark, JNat, coticule etc. Again, many roads, etc....

 

[Badkarma]

Shapton or Naniwa which one and what series?

 

[eKretz]

Naniwa Chosera 1k, or Shapton Pro (aka kuromaku) 1.5k. Both are excellent, take your pick. 5k I like the Shapton Pro (again aka kuromaku). 8k the Naniwa Snow White (search that term you'll find it). The 12k spot is best filled by Naniwa 12k SS if you want to go the synthetic route.

 

[Gamma]

To do it all over, I would probably go through the same progression of gear. That's how I learned which stones I like, and why I like them. Moving into and out of different systems was fun & educational, and it provided insights into areas not visible through the eyes of others. The concept of 'doing it right' is certainly laudable, but for me that means finding my own way via hands-on experience.
I've owned, used, tested, etc - a good number of stones from a good number of systems fairly extesively. For a while now, I've been using Shapton Pro stones 90% of the time. They work well for my needs.

 

[David]

I’d buy an Atoma 400 (for lapping) a Shapton pro 1500, Shapton pro 5,000, Shapton pro 8,000, a good hard Coticule, a good razor grade Jnat, and a translucent or black ark. I can do pretty much anything I want with that setup.

 

[buca3152]

Chosera 600, 1k. Mid range suita and a hard jnat. A diamond plate to raise slurry. And one Tomo nagura.

 

[Clay S]

I would have my straights honed with different types of finishing stones to determine what type of edge I like on it. That will give you an end point at least.

 

[paintflinger]

I’d buy an Atoma 400 (for lapping) a Shapton pro 1500, Shapton pro 5,000, Shapton pro 8,000, a good hard Coticule, a good razor grade Jnat, and a translucent or black ark. I can do pretty much anything I want with that setup.

Pretty much this, but I'd skip the coticule/ark and just get some naguras for the jnat. Maybe a higher number Atoma for lapping the jnat, since I would only need to really lap the stone once, the higher number finish would make more sense.

 

[sig303]

https://www.amazon.com/Norton-Water...&keywords=norton+waterstone+starter+kit&psc=1
This is a pretty good baseline setup and fairly affordable - maybe add a Naniwa 12k for finishing, although experimenting with a few different pastes might be a good idea too (also cheaper). There might be an equivalent Naniwa kit out there which would also be fine. A setup like this is more than sufficient for getting a shave worthy edge. Later, if you find honing is a worthy hobby/pursuit unto itself, then start experimenting with the coticules and jnats; if it's just a way to keep your edges shave worthy, take the money you would have spent experimenting with natural stones and buy yourself a nice custom razor.

 

[Badkarma]

Thank you gentlemen for the advice looking forward to learning the honing game.

 

[BaylorGator]

https://www.amazon.com/Norton-Water...&keywords=norton+waterstone+starter+kit&psc=1
This is a pretty good baseline setup and fairly affordable - maybe add a Naniwa 12k for finishing, although experimenting with a few different pastes might be a good idea too (also cheaper). There might be an equivalent Naniwa kit out there which would also be fine. A setup like this is more than sufficient for getting a shave worthy edge. Later, if you find honing is a worthy hobby/pursuit unto itself, then start experimenting with the coticules and jnats; if it's just a way to keep your edges shave worthy, take the money you would have spent experimenting with natural stones and buy yourself a nice custom razor.

After researching the heck out of it, that’s exactly the combo I went with, including the Naniwa 12K. I’ve been very pleased with it, had great success and no regrets, and would buy the same setup again if I started over. Several guys advised me to start with synths, and I haven’t caught the bug to hone with naturals... yet...

 

[steveclarkus]

The Naniwa 12k is the one I would not have bought. It is an excellent stone but I prefer film. The only stone I use is a Shapton Pro 1k for bevel setting. Film is simply easier - no maintenance. The less time I spent honing, the happier I be.

 

[global_dev]

I enjoy honing.. it's soothing and can often be very zenlike... i don't want to do it all the time, but the process can be very enjoyable... depends on how you approach it, is it a job or a hobby?

 

[kelbro]

A person could do well with just a natural combo coticule (I did for 30 years). During that time, I also rotated in a Washita and Translucent Arkansas as an alternative.

Keep in mind that I was not doing restores on eBay specials, only keeping my two straights in shape. These two setups provided comfortable (coticule) and crisp (arkie) edges and even took out minor chips. You can spend more for synthetic efficiencies but you don't have to.

 

[Badkarma]

A person could do well with just a natural combo coticule (I did for 30 years). During that time, I also rotated in a Washita and Translucent Arkansas as an alternative.

Keep in mind that I was not doing restores on eBay specials, only keeping my two straights in shape. These two setups provided comfortable (coticule) and crisp (arkie) edges and even took out minor chips. You can spend more for synthetic efficiencies but you don't have to.

That sounds perfect I have all the straights I need. I want to maintain what I have. Thank you

 

[global_dev]

don't forget you don't have to keep everything you obtain, you can always put it on the BST..

 

[David]

A person could do well with just a natural combo coticule (I did for 30 years). During that time, I also rotated in a Washita and Translucent Arkansas as an alternative.

Keep in mind that I was not doing restores on eBay specials, only keeping my two straights in shape. These two setups provided comfortable (coticule) and crisp (arkie) edges and even took out minor chips. You can spend more for synthetic efficiencies but you don't have to.

Do you still have the coti?

 

[Seveneighth]

Honing has become a bit of a hobby in its own right and using different stones is a pleasurable component of that. So looking back I wouldn't change the journey so far or the stones I have bought.

If I dial back to my original intent which was to become as self sufficient with the least amount of hassle and spend, I wish I had known about coticules. As @kelbro says, for my purposes a coticule does everything I need, with the minimum amount of fuss and cost. There are other edges I prefer, but just from a minimum needs point of view, running a unicot progression on a coticule was easy to learn and quick to execute. With a coticule that is fast with slurry (e.g. an LPB) I can remove chips and sort out problem razors as well. For something more severe I could make do with a diamond plate or some lapping film in addition.

 

[ischiapp3]

I want to do it right the first time.

I don't think It's possible.

This is my experience.
Most efficient are synth stones.
Best ones, Shapton Glass serie.
They works a nice edge.

After shaving with a freshly JNat honed SR, I had the call.
Now I have just natural stones.
I feel the edge more keen (smooth), less sharp (rough).
And found in the journey some I prefer to JNat.

This to explain one concept.
Honing can be more than a mechanical thing.
But all depends on you.
It's about feelings, more than pyramids and microscope.