Is this set up any good? https://www.amazon.com/Premium-whetstone-sharpening-stones-sharpen/dp/B076DV25F3/
Seems too cheap to be good.
Seems too cheap to be good.
Possible honing kit
- Thread starter redwoolf
- Start date
I am not familiar with this set, but it looks like the usual cheap generic crap. You can get by with those stones for knives, if you must, though you will have to cope with a lot of dishing, and you don't need that many stones for that, and really a Shapton Glass 1K, all by itself, would be a better purchase for knives. But for razors, the thought is horrifying.
A truly viable starter honing kit, if you want to go with stones rather than the cheaper film option, might consist of Shapton Glass 1K and 3K, plus Naniwa Super Stone 12K. But I'm sure you can get plenty of other suggestions here.
A truly viable starter honing kit, if you want to go with stones rather than the cheaper film option, might consist of Shapton Glass 1K and 3K, plus Naniwa Super Stone 12K. But I'm sure you can get plenty of other suggestions here.
- Thread starter
- #3
I'm also considering a belgian blue and coticule set from Best Sharpening Stones ® | Home Page - https://bestsharpeningstones.com. Is the Shapton/Naniwa combo you describe better/easier?
rbscebu
Girls call me Makaluod
@redwoolf, the Amazon whetstones you are looking at will do the job if you only intend to hone just a few SR's. The reason being that they will dish relatively quickly so will have to be lapped flat often, sometimes even during a single SR's honing session. You also do not need that many different grades and the price they are asking is not cheap for what you are getting.
If you want to watch your pennies while getting into honing, you should get into honing on lapping film. For under USD 50 you can set yourself up to hone 10 to 15 or more SR's just using lapping film on an acrylic substrate.
I have honed about 100 SR's from bevel-set, now using 1k, 3k and 10k cheap synthetics like you are looking at. I then move on to the finer grades of lapping film before finishing off on diamond pasted balsa strops.
My whole setup cost me less than USD 150 and gives me perfect shave-ready edges every time.
If you want to watch your pennies while getting into honing, you should get into honing on lapping film. For under USD 50 you can set yourself up to hone 10 to 15 or more SR's just using lapping film on an acrylic substrate.
I have honed about 100 SR's from bevel-set, now using 1k, 3k and 10k cheap synthetics like you are looking at. I then move on to the finer grades of lapping film before finishing off on diamond pasted balsa strops.
My whole setup cost me less than USD 150 and gives me perfect shave-ready edges every time.
I would consider the coticule a more advanced option. They can be really rewarding when used right. In my opinion there is not anything the blue coticule can do that the yellow can't do better.
The shapton or naniwa route is probably easier.
Using the popular Naniwa or Shapton synthetics is a big advantage when you are learning. If you're using off beat synthetics or naturals the 'is the stone the problem' question is unresolvable. Once you are experienced, then you are in a position to judge stones for yourself.
- Thread starter
- #7
Could I go with a Naniwa 1k, 3k, and 12k? Or is the Shapton glass preferred for the 1k and 3k?
Having owned and used both the Shapton glass HR series and the Naniwa Pro series for many years now and if I was looking for a set for beginning my razor honing apprenticeship, I would purchase the Naniwa Pro 1K,3k, the Naniwa Snow White 8k and the Naniwa SS 12K for a synthetic progression.
The Shapton HR's are very fast and a new honer can get into trouble fast w/them.
The Shapton HR's are very fast and a new honer can get into trouble fast w/them.
Unless you are doing restoration work you might get by with just the shapton 3k hr, 8k snow white and the 12k super. I have both the pro 3k and the shapton. The shapton cuts really fast but leaves a little coarser edge then the naniwa. Where I live the pro 3k is twice the cost of a shapton 3k. It is also twice the thickness. The shapton does not load up as much, and the feedback is nicer then the pro, which I value.
A 1k stone is really a work horse for knifes and heavy work on razors. So you might consider the utility factor here.
A 1k stone is really a work horse for knifes and heavy work on razors. So you might consider the utility factor here.
- Thread starter
- #10
That still puts me at about $350 USD, whereas a coticule and slurry stone are $150 USD. Is a coticule that much more difficult to hone with?
Most coticule owners have more than one if not a dozen. Very few synthetic owners have duplicates though some have duplicate grits from different manufacturers.
- Thread starter
- #12
Gotcha. Sounds like it makes more sense then to go with a synthetic set up. I appreciate all the responses.
I have 0 coticules, though that is due to change soon. But coticule people say it can take a lot of experimentation to find the right coticule to finish razors. It's a game to play after you have a solid sequence as a baseline. The way to get that baseline is synthetics. The JNat game is similar.
After some searching on here, HT @Steve56, I am going with 2k HR and 6k HC. Then to the natural finisher(12k). I am going to spring for the $$$ Shapton stone holder and Atoma 400 for lapping and I am a bit under $400. I like the idea of the 2k as the lowest stone, if it doesn't work the 1k is only $50.
A Shapton pro 1500, Naniwa Hayabusa 4k, and Naniwa Fuji 8k will run you about $150 on Amazon. You can add a finer synthetic in the 12k range or whatever natural finisher your budget will allow, but honestly you can likely shave off the Fuji and be happy.
I agree, the Hayabusa > Fuji combo for me is a great middle and the Fuji 8K really fights above its weight, more like a 10K when properly applied. They are a bargain IMHO, from there many finishers are an easy jump. I have run this progression ending w/the Nani SS12k and have been very pleased w/the results.
I prefer naturals as finishers for my own shaving so J-Nats, Eschers, La-Lune, Arks etc. coming off of the Fuji 8K.
I prefer naturals as finishers for my own shaving so J-Nats, Eschers, La-Lune, Arks etc. coming off of the Fuji 8K.
I should add, the plastic case the Shapton comes in doubles as a holder which the Nanis fit in too.
I almost always finish on a translucent ark, but as @C FrankC mentions, there are lots of options for finishing. A lot of guys here have had good results with various slates and they're not usually terribly expensive.
I almost always finish on a translucent ark, but as @C FrankC mentions, there are lots of options for finishing. A lot of guys here have had good results with various slates and they're not usually terribly expensive.
- Thread starter
- #19
I just had my razors honed by a kind fellow on this forum. Could I get away with just the snow white for keeping my edge keen for now? Or perhaps get a translucent ark?
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I would get both, or just the Ark if you plan on doing freeqent touch-up honing. The Ark can be really unforgiving and slow. So you wil probably need something like an 8k at some point.
The Snow White is a pure joy to use. It might not be as fine as the Fuji, but I find it much more fun to use.
The Snow White can also be used with a nagura. I think someone on this forum uses a Tsushima nagura to add some range to the stone.
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