Shapton GS7 .44

[Wid]

So not to mix up the Shapton with the other thread I figured to do a separate post.

I recently received a Shapton GS7 .44 from @Steve56. I have only used it once before finishing this Clauss on it

Was looking for a high grit synthetic to try. This stone seemed like a good alternative to the other high dollar stones we all read about, so why not.

The stone was simple to lap on a worn DMT 325.

I dulled the edge on the razor and went back to the Naniwa Snow White till it could pass a good HHT then hit it with a Naniwa 12K. It was pretty much shave ready at this point.

Now I’ve read this is a fast stone and it is. The first razor I tried I did something like 50 laps on the razor. That edge was a bit to crisp for my liking so I took it to a thuri to tame it down a bit, that worked great.

I’ve read folks just doing 10 strokes or so but I don’t follow directions very well. I chose to do 25 x strokes then linen/leather. The HHT was good straight off the stone and off the strop it was fantastic.

Today was the shave test. The razor was quite comfortable and shaved without effort. I never strive for bbs, just a good shave. I was rewarded with a very good shave with near bbs. Always a trouble spot or two in the neck.

No sting when aftershave was applied and no irritation. I’d call that a success.

So, I can recommend this stone, although Shapton doesn’t, for a nice quick little finisher.

Perfect for hand honing.

 

[ZeelandsRoem]

They cut pretty quickly and the 0.49 or 0.44 can be good finishers. From what I noticed under the microscope, even five laps might be enough, but somewhere around ten is better.

And speaking of this stone, I need to try two things this weekend, which have been on my radar for a while:
1. Do only 4 laps on the stone, strop on clean leather and then shave to see how it works
2. Do more than 5 laps on the stone, skip stropping and shave with that edge. I expect it might be harsh but I am still curious how harsh it will be.

Also, I am not sure why people say they are not recommended for straight razors by Shapton. There isn’t anything stated on their website. If they weren’t adequate for straight razor honing, I am sure they would mentioned this on the website and passing the info to their retailers by now.

 

[Steve56]

It’s a great travel stone too.

 

[Empire straights]

I've considered getting some of the coarser ones for knives but they're pricy.

 

[ZeelandsRoem]

I forgot to mention this on my previous post, but I find that going from Shapton 0.49 / 0.44 to 0.1 / 0.025 diamond paste on leather will increase the comfort quite a bit.

I, for one, will not have a pleasing shave directly off the Shapton 0.49/0.44 without going with 0.1/0.025 on TI’s C135, the edge is just too uncomfortable. It cuts really well, but it is a bit too uncomfortable.

With softer steels, I can go from Shapton 0.44/0.49 to leather strop and then have a comfortable shave.

 

[Gamma]

I've had one for a while, use it once in a while for comparison testing. I have the .85 um also.
Spent some time comparing the .44 um to the 30k GS also.
If I am following an 8k or 10k, I haven't needed to do more than 10-12 super light laps or so, I don't usually count and it's a fast finish but It's prob not more than that. My initial tests were 7-15 laps, counted.
That stone gives a definite heads-up when the edge is done.
I found it identical to the 30k GS, and like that stone it will bring the edge to brisk/toothy/etc quickly.
After lengthy discussion, it seems to me that Shapton's recommendations, or lack of, are more about what they think the average user's skills are, than the stone's capabilities.

 

[Wid]

Judging by the stubble or lack of this morning I'd say the edge was a success.

 

[lloydw]

Thanks for sharing this - my mind has been wondering about one of the higher grit synthetic stones and if/how I would fit one in.

 

[Wid]

Thanks for sharing this - my mind has been wondering about one of the higher grit synthetic stones and if/how I would fit one in.

I’m still at the learning phase of the stone. I’m going to try 10 x strokes next time but the 25 I did seemed to work well.

 

[Steve56]

I think that the optimum number of strokes is likely more dependent on the particular razor - bevel angle, steel, hardness/tempering - than on the stone. This is true in general I believe.

 

[Wid]

I think that the optimum number of strokes is likely more dependent on the particular razor - bevel angle, steel, hardness/tempering - than on the stone. This is true in general I believe.

Without question

 

[JPO]

I’m still at the learning phase of the stone. I’m going to try 10 x strokes next time but the 25 I did seemed to work well.

When I used this stone I usually did 10 light finishing strokes. I den brought the stone with me for my first shave. I then shave tested the razor. If I felt the razor could handle a little more i just did a few more strokes on the stone, and finished the shave.
It is a really active stone. So, there is not allot of wiggle room with some steel.
It works really well with stainless steel razors.
The 30k pro stone is quite different. It is less active, and seem to work better with carbon steel.

I like the G7 0.85 better then the 0.44. I might have a bad stone, because some have been reported to have issues with the binder.

 

[Wid]

When I used this stone I usually did 10 light finishing strokes. I den brought the stone with me for my first shave. I then shave tested the razor. If I felt the razor could handle a little more i just did a few more strokes on the stone, and finished the shave.
It is a really active stone. So, there is not allot of wiggle room with some steel.
It works really well with stainless steel razors.
The 30k pro stone is quite different. It is less active, and seem to work better with carbon steel.

I like the G7 0.85 better then the 0.44. I might have a bad stone, because some have been reported to have issues with the binder.

That’s a good idea. I’m going to try a WB chopper next.

 

[Herrenberg]

Thanks for sharing this - my mind has been wondering about one of the higher grit synthetic stones and if/how I would fit one in.

In case it helps push you over the edge, this stone probably makes an awesome knife deburring stone. I know the GS 30K does.

 

[JPO]

In case it helps push you over the edge, this stone probably makes an awesome knife deburring stone. I know the GS 30K does.

That is what I use my G7 0.44 for.
Even the edges off the G7 0.85 is close to what I am comfortable shaving with.
Maybe I just need to tame it..

 

[Steve56]

I like the G7 0.85 better then the 0.44. I might have a bad stone, because some have been reported to have issues with the binder.

That was me with the bad one. I’ve had three of them. The first I bought from CKTG along with several other G7 stones, and all the others were fine. The 0.44 released large chunks of material that you could easily feel in the water with your fingertip, and you could see divots on the hone face when it dried. This was repeatable. So I sent the stone back to Mark and asked that he evaluate it, which he did, and then he sent it back to Shapton in Japan, who confirmed that it was defective.

Eventually I replaced it, and the replacement was fine. I got the third when I bought the knife sharpening set from Sharpening Supplies during a very good sale. So I had an extra and sold it to Rick. This was a new stone sealed in its original wrapper, so I did not know what the stone was actually like, but from his posts, it’s just what it should be.

 

[Wid]

This stone is fine. Nothing like what Steve says how his bad one acted. As a matter of fact, it was mailed to me and I was able to use it before I bought it.

 

[alex1921]

Thx for the posts Rick. I just found that one of my Dorkos has a bad warp and was looking at narrow stones. My usual honing gymnastics aint cutting it. G7 it is then.

 

[JPO]

These G7 stones also seem to act a little different depending on how the surface is treated.
It needs a freshly lapped surface. I flatten mine with a diamond plate, and rub a lower grit G7 against it. I clean it and use it. Doing this changes how it acts compared to just using the diamond plate.
The binder is quite hard.

 

[ZeelandsRoem]

These G7 stones also seem to act a little different depending on how the surface is treated.
It needs a freshly lapped surface. I flatten mine with a diamond plate, and rub a lower grit G7 against it. I clean it and use it. Doing this changes how it acts compared to just using the diamond plate.
The binder is quite hard.

How exactly does it act after you rub a lower grit G7 against it? And exactly what grit do you use for rubbing? I was thinking to do something like this too to see if there is any difference, as I found out my Shapton lapping disk leaves some big scratches in the stones. With the Atoma 1.2k I see an improvement, but I think it could be even better.