I know that my current SR isn't very good, but that means that it's OK for me to make mistakes using it to learn how to hone before I get a good blade. As I've mentioned before, my finances are such that I can't afford to buy multiple stones costing over $100 each, before I know how to use them. From what I can tell, getting a two-sided stone, probably in the 8k/12k range would do for now, along with a coarser stone for doing the bevel. (That small stone I have is, in fact an Ark, in the 600-900 range. More proof that it's not for razors.) Does this look right, or if not, what should I be looking for, ideally in the $50 range each? And, although I know that there are reputable shops listed here, if any of them are especially recommended, suggestions are welcome. I figure that if I have good beginner stones and take time watching the tutorials, I should be able to learn how to hone a razor before buying a good one.
What stones do I really need?
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I think naniwa would be the way to go. Would say there is a good chance you could buy some used ones as well to save money. (Thinking 12k and 8k).
Definitely stick to 1 brand though if you can after choosing. I think for final finishing a pasted strop might be a good cheap option for you (20$ for what would be ~15k to 30k grit finish. Paste would be applied to some sort of cotton/linen strop).
My other recommendation that can work but could be trickier is a coticule. It would pair well with a pasted strop and could cover most of the progression other than final finishing. I would say picking this option is like getting a manual as your first car without a helper. Can be fun and rewarding if you get it to work.
Ultimately though if looking for a great cheap shave I would recommend DE/safety razor shaving. If you are wanting to shave with a straight I recommend getting a shave ready razor first from a member here. Try out different edges then jump down further into the sharpening rabbit hole after you know what you like.
Definitely stick to 1 brand though if you can after choosing. I think for final finishing a pasted strop might be a good cheap option for you (20$ for what would be ~15k to 30k grit finish. Paste would be applied to some sort of cotton/linen strop).
My other recommendation that can work but could be trickier is a coticule. It would pair well with a pasted strop and could cover most of the progression other than final finishing. I would say picking this option is like getting a manual as your first car without a helper. Can be fun and rewarding if you get it to work.
Ultimately though if looking for a great cheap shave I would recommend DE/safety razor shaving. If you are wanting to shave with a straight I recommend getting a shave ready razor first from a member here. Try out different edges then jump down further into the sharpening rabbit hole after you know what you like.
Christian 1212 hit the nail on the head! You should try razors honed on different stones, if possible. You might want to see if any members here live close and have a visit. Never know you might go home with a shave ready razor to try.
As far as stones LJS said it 1, 3, 5, 8K, plus finisher and good strop. I would add a 12 K, but that is me. Stone choice is up to the individual liking. Naniwa stone are soft and buttery feel to them. They are splash and go, which is very nice. I think they finish above the grit rating, just my thoughts. Suhiro Cerax's are fast cutting. They have very nice feed back, but have to soak them. King stone are soft and buttery much like the Naniwa stones. JNAT is a love hate relationship until you learn your stone.
Diamond paste on Balsa is good and works. It is just a different edge. For the money synthetic strop from SS and DMT DIA spray will go a long ways. But you still need the leather strop. Nano Ultra strop is ok, still working on if I like them or am going to sell them.
I have stated in the past, my JNAT gives a very smooth shave. Probably my favorite finisher right now. But it takes time to learn your stone and get the finished edge you want. If I am running short on time, I will grab the Suhiro G20. It gives a very Keen edge, but not as smooth as my JNAT.
Also with stones you will need a lapping plate. There are several options, so have crazy high price others more reasonable to a plate of glass and wet sand paper.
I have seen some Belgium's in your price range on the bay. Never tried one or shaved with one yet, so I can't give you any advise there.
I am sure others will chime in with some options and advise. Best of luck and enjoy your journey! The rabbit hole goes on forever!
As far as stones LJS said it 1, 3, 5, 8K, plus finisher and good strop. I would add a 12 K, but that is me. Stone choice is up to the individual liking. Naniwa stone are soft and buttery feel to them. They are splash and go, which is very nice. I think they finish above the grit rating, just my thoughts. Suhiro Cerax's are fast cutting. They have very nice feed back, but have to soak them. King stone are soft and buttery much like the Naniwa stones. JNAT is a love hate relationship until you learn your stone.
Diamond paste on Balsa is good and works. It is just a different edge. For the money synthetic strop from SS and DMT DIA spray will go a long ways. But you still need the leather strop. Nano Ultra strop is ok, still working on if I like them or am going to sell them.
I have stated in the past, my JNAT gives a very smooth shave. Probably my favorite finisher right now. But it takes time to learn your stone and get the finished edge you want. If I am running short on time, I will grab the Suhiro G20. It gives a very Keen edge, but not as smooth as my JNAT.
Also with stones you will need a lapping plate. There are several options, so have crazy high price others more reasonable to a plate of glass and wet sand paper.
I have seen some Belgium's in your price range on the bay. Never tried one or shaved with one yet, so I can't give you any advise there.
I am sure others will chime in with some options and advise. Best of luck and enjoy your journey! The rabbit hole goes on forever!
Naniwa or Shapton 1 through 12. That’s all, if you want more once you master that the worlds your oyster.
For cost effectiveness, a Shapton glass set might be a good bet. They can more easily make larger jumps in grit. I think 1, 3, 8k is doable. If you can afford the 12k as well, you'll probably be quite happy.
With budget in mind, you can stretch old jeans over an MDF board and staple it to the back. Charge lightly with Chromium oxide, and you have a very serviceable strop that will also polish the edge after the last stone. It's not the most luxurious edge, but it is sharp, and should get you to passing a mid level hanging hair test without too much trouble.
If you wanted to shoot the moon, a coticule is a one stone solution and you can buy one for $100-150. It's trickier to learn if you haven't worked with synthetics. It'll be a challenge but if learning is your goal, you'll learn a bunch.
This three stone kit is fairly well regarded, I believe, and on sale. Could also buy the stones individually and skip the extras.
With budget in mind, you can stretch old jeans over an MDF board and staple it to the back. Charge lightly with Chromium oxide, and you have a very serviceable strop that will also polish the edge after the last stone. It's not the most luxurious edge, but it is sharp, and should get you to passing a mid level hanging hair test without too much trouble.
If you wanted to shoot the moon, a coticule is a one stone solution and you can buy one for $100-150. It's trickier to learn if you haven't worked with synthetics. It'll be a challenge but if learning is your goal, you'll learn a bunch.
This three stone kit is fairly well regarded, I believe, and on sale. Could also buy the stones individually and skip the extras.
Shapton GlassStone Seven Knife Sharpening Kit
Unique All-In-One Knife Sharpening Kit We're thrilled to introduce the new Shapton Glass Stone Seven Knife Sharpening Kit. The G7 Kit has everything you need to sharpen knives; stones, holder and diamond lapping plate beautifully presented in one box.
www.sharpeningsupplies.com
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I notice that although all of you gave me interesting suggestions, not one of you even mentioned my idea of getting a two-sided stone. Is that because you don't like them or because they cost more than I'd like to spend. And no, now that I've started to learn how to use a SR, I'm not going backwards to a DE, TYVM.
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I'm not that broke, and if I were, I couldn't have afforded the SR in the first place. Thanks but no thanks!
I would get a good stone for the lower grit work:
1k Naniwa pro, 1.5k shapton pro.
A small sized jnat koppa, and a few naguras.
The most difficult part is not using a jnat, it's finding a good one.
If you add a WTB post at the BST, someone will probably sell you a good one at a reasonable price.
You will probably also be given some advice on how to use the stone.
Adding more stones makes the job easier.
Bying cheaper stones will most likely be a sunk cost.
You will probably get most of your money back if you buy quality stones if you decide to jump ship.
1k Naniwa pro, 1.5k shapton pro.
A small sized jnat koppa, and a few naguras.
The most difficult part is not using a jnat, it's finding a good one.
If you add a WTB post at the BST, someone will probably sell you a good one at a reasonable price.
You will probably also be given some advice on how to use the stone.
Adding more stones makes the job easier.
Bying cheaper stones will most likely be a sunk cost.
You will probably get most of your money back if you buy quality stones if you decide to jump ship.
The cheapest way would probably be to buy a cheap used, genuinely shave ready vintage razor from a brand that doesn't have much collector value like one of the innumerable early 20th century Solingen made hardware or drug store marks, and maintain it on a single versatile finisher like a good quality koppa and tomo, or a nice smaller coticule and rubbing stone, or maybe one of the better synths, but I can't speak from direct experience on those. That way you can skip the expense of bevel setters and mid-grits as long as you're very careful and don't badly damage the edge, and if you do manage to you can send it out to be honed for less than the price of a stone.
This is dependent on buying your razor and stones from a trustworthy and reliable seller who can ensure that you're truly getting what you need, though.
Regarding combo stones, there just aren't any I'm aware of that I would unreservedly recommend for razors. I have a King 1k/6k combo that I bought when I was just getting into waterstones, and I do still use the 6k side on razors to clean up the edge before an 8k, but many others who I consider reputable sources have reported bad results from the same stone, so it's likely the quality is variable, and because I only use the one side it's not much of a combo anyway.
This is dependent on buying your razor and stones from a trustworthy and reliable seller who can ensure that you're truly getting what you need, though.
Regarding combo stones, there just aren't any I'm aware of that I would unreservedly recommend for razors. I have a King 1k/6k combo that I bought when I was just getting into waterstones, and I do still use the 6k side on razors to clean up the edge before an 8k, but many others who I consider reputable sources have reported bad results from the same stone, so it's likely the quality is variable, and because I only use the one side it's not much of a combo anyway.
I'd get a much better shave with a real, properly heat treated, high quality steel razor, which I maintained using a pasted cotton (denim) strop, than I would a RSO and an expensive stone.
But YMMV...
Just look for stones from the brands we mentioned (shapton and naniwa). Naniwa appears to have a 5k/10k combo that would work.
The other 2 combos that are more common are the king 1k/6k stone and the norton 4k/8k stone. Both need to be soaked and will need another finishing stone. They don't get recommended though because most straight razor users end up with the naniwa/shapton anyhow.
The other 2 combos that are more common are the king 1k/6k stone and the norton 4k/8k stone. Both need to be soaked and will need another finishing stone. They don't get recommended though because most straight razor users end up with the naniwa/shapton anyhow.
Because your idea isn’t a good one, simple as that. You very well could just buy 2 razors and maintain them with a pasted strop and when it needs honing send that one out. Just rotate the two.
I’m sure you’ll buck every idea we come up with so…..
There is nothing wrong with combination stones. However, you need to be quite careful to avoid contamination fram the coarse side to the fine.
I hone most of the time in hand, so that would make grit combination an issue I don't want to deal with.
This combination stone would probably get you quite close to a minimal setup for roughly 150 usd, if you are not doing any heavy lifting.
I hone most of the time in hand, so that would make grit combination an issue I don't want to deal with.
This combination stone would probably get you quite close to a minimal setup for roughly 150 usd, if you are not doing any heavy lifting.
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You can look at Zwilling 3000/8000.
If the price is cheap, of course. They are stones produced by Naniwa. They're fine stones.Norton 4000/8000 can also be purchased, but you should check Ebay for it. Store prices are unnecessarily expensive. New Norton 4/8k's can be purchased on Ebay for around 50-60 USD. You can also use optional chromium oxide after Zwilling and Norton.
The stone I shared below from Naniwa may also be preferred.( ebay)
If the price is cheap, of course. They are stones produced by Naniwa. They're fine stones.Norton 4000/8000 can also be purchased, but you should check Ebay for it. Store prices are unnecessarily expensive. New Norton 4/8k's can be purchased on Ebay for around 50-60 USD. You can also use optional chromium oxide after Zwilling and Norton.
The stone I shared below from Naniwa may also be preferred.( ebay)
The least expensive bevel setting stone is a King 1k or King 1.2k, but they are love/hate stones. Takes some skill to use them well as they are "traditional" stones made originally to provide an aluminum oxide version of Japanese natural stones in that grit range. That means they wear quickly, require very light touch, and must be flattened quite often. They work fine, but are unlike hard Western stones.
If you have a razor in shaving condition, I would second the recommendation for the Naniwa 5k/12k combo. You won't wear it out any time soon touching up razors, and unless you damage the edge on the sink or tap, you will not require a bevel setter.
If you have a razor in shaving condition, I would second the recommendation for the Naniwa 5k/12k combo. You won't wear it out any time soon touching up razors, and unless you damage the edge on the sink or tap, you will not require a bevel setter.
The horse has water. The rest is now up to the horse.
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The problem is, I don't. If I can learn how to put a decent edge on what I have, even if I have to do it once a week, I'll be ready to buy a proper razor and have a professional put a proper edge on it.
Glad to hear you have a stone you think you will get. Would have some sandpaper and flat surface ready to flatten the stones (would try to flatten once before every honing session). Looking forward to watch the story unfold.
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