Seems like the super cheap Chinese 12k or the relatively cheap Spyderco extra fine would also be decent in between options....
-Mo
-Mo
Shapton 16K & 30K - Initial thoughts...
- Thread starter joel
- Start date
One of the things I like about Nortons, as well as Shapton, Naniwa, and the DMT plates is the sizeable surface area. I like anything roughly 8"x3". I know that's a bit big for razors, but..........
- Thread starter
- #23
See I was thinking about a 12000 also just to keep it real mathematical4000-8000-12000-16000 so yer thinking I should add that extra step in there??? also if I were going to add the 12000 would you recomend the Kitayama or another Shapton
?????
I'll try one more razor and see how it goes if I'm lapping to many times on the 16000 I'll pick up a 12000 and add it.... It is getting down to almost crazy as we try more and more for that perfect edge hehehe
I wonder what our fathers and grandfathers would think of us
Oh well we enjoy our shaving time I guess thats what really counts
Depends on how much time you want to spend. See - the issue is - a Norton 8K is NOT the same as a Shapton 8K, as in Shapton grits, the Norton 8K is about a shapton 5K, so going from essentially a "shapton" 5K on your Norton 8K, to a TRUE shapton 16K, just ain't gonna cut the mustard.
What I do, is go to an escher because it cuts quicky, then to the Chinese 12K as I like the edge the 12K leaves more, then go to the Shapton 16K.
The fastest/easiest "in-between" hone for you, would probably be the Spyderco Ultra Fine (however, you'd probably need to lap it, as most of the hones they have been shipping out lately aren't flat) as it'll leave about as nice an edge as the Chinese 12K, yet cuts much faster, so it'll save you some time.
If you think you are getting good results with that 16K Shapton now though, you'll be shocked when you use a hone or two inbetween, as the 8K Norton just doesn't cut the mustard.
Hope this helps!
I am just curious whether you own or have used any of the other stones in the Shapton Glass Stone series such as the 1K, 4K, or 8K and if so what are your opinions on their performance. Does you think that the 16K works as well comming off the 8K Shapton stone as your Chinese 12K?
- Thread starter
- #25
Sorry, haven't used the other shaptons. I doubt the shapton 8K would work as well as the Chinese 12K though.
I was wondering that too. It seems like if ten passes on the Shapton after a chinese 12k or the like does it, and the Shapton is pretty fast cutting, you should be able to get the same result by just doing a lot more passes off of a courser stone.
But then, it seems honing is tricky, and not always as simple as one thinks it "should" be.
-Mo
Truer words were never spoken.
- Thread starter
- #30
Bruce,
Different grits cut in different manners. If you go with an 8K stone, then jump to a 30K stone, you're still going to have scratches from the 8K stone. Honing is something that must be done in steps to have the most stable, and smoothest edge. Also, Shaptons are aggressive/fast cutting for their grit - which has a much different meaning. Typically, the smaller the grit, the slower cutting - so while for instance a 30K cuts very quickly, it cuts quickly for it's grit - it would take ages to establish an edge with the 30K.
Also, different stones leave the edge in different conditions. Going from a low grit stone, then to a very high grit stone will leave a rocky/unpolished edge. Moving up in grit gradually, while "perfecting" the polish on each grit ever so finer is the way to get maximum results.
Basically, you CAN go from a Norton 8K to a Shapton 16K, but he's using like 40+ strokes to get a decent edge, and while it is better than what he has acheived with other stones, and is a marked improvement - even then, he is not getting the maximum result from the 16K stone, which to a certain extent defeats the purpose. In fact, I can get a better, and more comfortable shaving edge going from a Norton 8K, to a Spyderco Ultra Fine, Chinese 12K, or Escher - rather than going from the Norton 8, right to the shapton 16 - so if I could only have "one" finishing stone off of the Norton 8K, it certainly wouldn't be the Shapton 16K. Now, after I've used one on the aformentioned hones on a razor (after it has been on the 8K norton) and move to a Shapton 16K, I can develop a much finer edge on the razor than I could merely using one of the aformentioned hones.
Hope this helps...
The way I look at it, it's kind of like sanding a piece of wood with 40grit sandpaper and then sanding with 400 grit. It's just too big a jump.
Similar threads
