Question on Naniwa Super Stone vs Chosera

[Colinallcarz]

I have enough money for either a 1k & 12k Naniwa Super Stone or a 1k Chosera, only. I already have a 4k, 8k, swoty hone, and balsa w/ chromium oxide. If I go with the Chosera, it might be some time before I can save up enough for a 12k stone. I've heard the Chosera is awesome, but I've also heard some pretty good things about the Super Stone. The 1k will be replacing my King, which I do not like much. Any suggestions, guys?

Edit - A member offered me a good deal on a Naniwa 12k, so I was able to purchase both that and a Chosera 1k. Of course, now I have a barber's hone I need to get rid of to offset the cost...it's never ending . Thanks for the advice, guys!!!

 

[Kentos]

Just to stir the pot, have you ever thought of going the natural stone route for your finisher?

I have the SSs, and I would say they are OK. People rave about the 1k Chosera so....

Do you do a lot of bevel setting?

 

[Doc226]

I have a Naniwa SS 12k, very nice easy to use, I don't like the edges off it.

I would suggest investing more in the finishing stone vs the bevel setter. Folks spend thousands on JNATs as a finisher, a cheap 1K king stone will set the bevel just fine.

 

[Colinallcarz]

Just to stir the pot, have you ever thought of going the natural stone route for your finisher?

I have the SSs, and I would say they are OK. People rave about the 1k Chosera so....

Do you do a lot of bevel setting?

I thought about going that route. However, the prices seemed to jump pretty quickly with the natural stones and it looks like you get more consistent results with the synthetics. I'm open to suggestions, though. I do have a lot of bevel setting ahead of me.

 

[superbleu]

chosera over superstone any day!!!

 

[Colinallcarz]

I have a Naniwa SS 12k, very nice easy to use, I don't like the edges off it.

I would suggest investing more in the finishing stone vs the bevel setter. Folks spend thousands on JNATs as a finisher, a cheap 1K king stone will set the bevel just fine.

The King stone takes me forever to set and I've had some problems with how wide it is. I was hoping that bumping up to the wider, more effective stone would help.

 

[Gamma]

The choice really depends on what you really want.
Speed, hard/soft, inexpensive, etc.
A 1/2 thickness 1K C isnt that expensive - so that's an option to consider.

The SS is softer and slower than the Chosera, and less expensive. As a bevel setter - I liked it way more than the King or Norton 1k. I Feel the Chosera 1k is superior to all of them and well worth the investment.
I don't like the way softer stones work as a bevel setter, overall, out of that group of synths - I feel the that I do best with the 1k C; the scratch patterns are more consistent, my bevels have been more true, the speed is good.
The 12k SS is an admirable finisher, but I always felt that I needed to use Crox or a natural finisher afterwards to smooth out the edge.
For me - an investment in a really good 1k was money well spent.
Now - I usually set bevels and finish on a Jnat, and the 1k C hasn't seen much action in a while.

 

[danjared]

Natural or synthetic, the consistency comes from the person. I recommend getting better at honing on a stone the width of your King (52mm?) before moving on to another purchase. Without being able to keep the razor steady on the hone, you're not going to be able to get the most out of any stone you buy. You can still rock the razor sideways or accidentally raise the spine when honing on a wider or more expensive hone.

 

[Gamma]

Natural or synthetic, the consistency comes from the person. .

While I agree that the person honing has to have skills to hone consistently;

If your stone has abrasive particles that aren't consistent in size - I don't care if you're a robot from NASA, the scratch pattern is going to be uneven.
The Norton 1k, 4/8k, and King 1k I owned all left a good number of deep rogue scratches along the bevel...
I suppose that no stone is 'perfect', but the Chosera 1k has proven to be way more consistent.

I recommend being comfortable with your tools.

 

[jeness]

In my opinion the most important question is, where you want to improve your stone sequence. If you are sharpening a lot of razors where you need to set the bevel, than go with the 1k Chosera, if you wan't better outcome on the final edges, get the 12k super. Don't buy the 1k SS, better save up for a 1k Chosera later, they simply do not compare.

 

[H Brad Boonshaft]

Colin
On any stone there is a learning curve… to maximize its benefit. If you already have a 1K, learn it. I have a King, Norton and Chosera 1k and they are all different. The Chosera is faster and with a little more feedback, but really they all do the same thing. Unless you are honing a lot, a lot of razors don’t waste your money buying another bevel setter. Once you set the bevel, it may never see the 1k again.

You have a good kit. Learn to use it. It is the honer, not the hone. There is no “magic” hone. Like Kentos said, invest instead in a good natural finisher, a Black or Translucent Ark, Thurigian, Llyn Melynlln, C12K, or some CBN.

If you spend the time to master the King, you will become a much better honer for it, there are no real short cuts in honing. The edge does not lie.

Take your time, learn and enjoy.

 

[TheLegalRazor]

Most persons with significant honing experience will tell you the 1k is the best dedicated bevel setter. However, the SS 1k will also set a bevel well. I don't think the difference between the two matters to someone honing their own razors, as you won't be setting bevels often. The SS 12k will see more frequent use than a 1k, because you'll be using it as a finisher coming off the 4/8k, and to touch up your razors. So my vote is for the SS 1k and 12k.

 

[Colinallcarz]

Colin
On any stone there is a learning curve… to maximize its benefit. If you already have a 1K, learn it. I have a King, Norton and Chosera 1k and they are all different. The Chosera is faster and with a little more feedback, but really they all do the same thing. Unless you are honing a lot, a lot of razors don’t waste your money buying another bevel setter. Once you set the bevel, it may never see the 1k again.

You have a good kit. Learn to use it. It is the honer, not the hone. There is no “magic” hone. Like Kentos said, invest instead in a good natural finisher, a Black or Translucent Ark, Thurigian, Llyn Melynlln, C12K, or some CBN.

If you spend the time to master the King, you will become a much better honer for it, there are no real short cuts in honing. The edge does not lie.

Take your time, learn and enjoy.

Thanks for the advice, Brad. However, because another member offered me a good deal on a Naniwa 12k, I was able to get both that and the Chosera 1k.

 

[H Brad Boonshaft]

Both good stones, enjoy. Chrome Ox after the 12K will give you a super edge. Try some polish, MAAS or Flitz on a piece of leather or nylon to really take the edge to the next level.