Recommendations to pair with King 1k Deluxe

[MikeAllen]

Also very true. I'm not overly impressed with slates because they don't remove steel quickly but I've found a few that will hog it off like a coticule will. A good coticule/bbw combo is hard to beat and I don't think they're that hard to use. No pressure, that's it. That's where everyone(myself included) screws it up initially. Garnets cut steel with ease. More slurry=more cutting power, less slurry=less cutting power, no need to change pressure. Run it through a progression with no pressure and finish on lather just barely skating on it and you've got a pretty damn fool proof stone. People recommend thuringians because of was of use but I'd say vintage coticule and finish on a fine Tam if it's not fine enough an edge. I could do it with a small quality old coticule+slurry stone and a Tam for just about any blade I could imagine sharpening.

i think I like the idea of Coticules. Mixing slurry thinning slurry. Using something natural to grind steel.

I ended up buying a diamond plate, the Fuji 8k and falcon 4K to pair with King 1k. I got an extra strop for pastes.

I have a lot of practice to do. Learn technique etc. plan is to just practice on cheap expendable razors. I bought a cheap set of Amazon stones a few weeks ago and dove right in. Pretty sure I ruined my offerup Ralf Aust razor I bought for $50 with straight razor designs strip. Wore spine big time, epic failure.

So I ordered a gold dollar as I need something inexpensive just to get feel I guess. I also have some cheap razors at a gas station near me Union Razor Co. I was considering grabbing a few if anyone knows if they are okay enough even for practice.

I’ve looked them up. Not sure if it’s on par with a gold dollar even, but they are like 10-12 bucks.

Funny thing is back of package says they have something in them that causes cancer. Thinking it has to be something in handle.

 

[Empire straights]

i think I like the idea of Coticules. Mixing slurry thinning slurry. Using something natural to grind steel.

I ended up buying a diamond plate, the Fuji 8k and falcon 4K to pair with King 1k. I got an extra strop for pastes.

I have a lot of practice to do. Learn technique etc. plan is to just practice on cheap expendable razors. I bought a cheap set of Amazon stones a few weeks ago and dove right in. Pretty sure I ruined my offerup Ralf Aust razor I bought for $50 with straight razor designs strip. Wore spine big time, epic failure.

So I ordered a gold dollar as I need something inexpensive just to get feel I guess. I also have some cheap razors at a gas station near me Union Razor Co. I was considering grabbing a few if anyone knows if they are okay enough even for practice.

I’ve looked them up. Not sure if it’s on par with a gold dollar even, but they are like 10-12 bucks.

Funny thing is back of package says they have something in them that causes cancer. Thinking it has to be something in handle.

If you do go the way of the coticule eventually make sure you get it from ac, Griffith, the bst or anywhere that the seller will have experience with a razor on the stone so they can give you an accurate description of the stones character. Several people around the razor forums sell on eBay too so if you go that route don't hesitate to ask the seller if they've honed a razor on the stone before. Ac will pick out what you ask for. I believe 1stone will do the same though from looks I think there probably a little less range in their coticule selection and it'll be almost exclusively geared toward razors. I stand by my statement that coticules are the Swiss army knife of whetstones in my book. I do a lot of work with coticules. The edge isn't the right one for all tools but that edge can be changed quickly with a few laps on a different stone but contrasted to other stones it'll get that bevel lined out faster than most others and go all the way to the end.

 

[MikeAllen]

Update:

Stuff arrived today. Fuji, Falcon, Atoma 400.

First off thanks everyone for suggestions. I’m fairly certain I’ve been binge watching some of your YouTube videos learning.

The flattening plate. Can tell this is going to be a huge difference.

Put pencil mark hashes on each stone and flattened king 1k.

First let me preface with I don’t know anything. I have not honed a blade.

So take this as a complete beginners take. I really liked the added width of the Fuji and Falcon. It also felt easier to make strokes on them. I also like how water seems to bead on top. I’m strongly considering getting The Arata Evolution 1000 and not learning on the King. Seem like a slightly thinner version of Chosera rebranded. Does anyone know if these are okay?


I don’t know I watched a video of Keith Johnson’s on YouTube ranking all the 8k stones. He mentioned feel/feedback being important. He also mentioned the Fuji is very subtle in that department. Without understanding what I’m feeling for I can say it smoother. Maybe this is solely do to grit. Naniwas felt rubbery, king gritty more like a stone I guess (ceramic)

I tend to overthink a lot of stuff and over reasearch.

Do you all think I should shelf the King and learn learn to set bevel on Chosera 1k/Arata Evolution?

 

[Wid]

You can learn on any stone ya want. Not sure it’s gonna make a huge difference but I’m not here to discourage you from buying more stones lol.

I used the Chosera 1 and 3K and really like them. Never used a King.

 

[lightfoot]

I have a number of stones for bevel setting work.


Naniwa Professional 1,000
Naniwa super stone 1,000
Shapton pro 1,500
King Deluxe 1,200

Once the King is fully saturated it’s actually on of my favorites.

 

[Slash McCoy]

Let me begin with the fact that I simply do not like King stones. To me, they are in the same class, overall quality wise, as Bear Moo, Sharp Pebble, and the like. There are those who like or tolerate them. I am not such a one. But my ire is mostly directed against the 1k/6k combo. Due to the two sides soaking water at different rates, they simply will not stay flat, and they are, to me, "mud stones". For your pocketknife, not bad. For razors, bad.

You want to begin your straight razor journey by setting a bevel on a GD. It probably seems logical, but in practice it is not so very workable.

You are best off beginning with a shave ready razor, new or vintage, honed by an actual member of the community who has a reputation to uphold and the skills with which to do it. LEARN TO SHAVE, first. Learn what a shave ready edge truly is, and how it appears and behaves on the face and in the hand. Otherwise, you will be a very long time not knowing whether to blame your shaving skills or your honing skills.

IMHO and some might disagree, the best way to get started in honing is to shave with a razor and when it gets a bit dull, refresh the edge on a known good finisher, preferably a synthetic (You must learn how to lap it, first!) or lapping film, which presents far fewer difficulties for the beginner and has a cheaper entry fee. Retouching the edge is your entry drug into honing. You will do a lot more touchups than bevel sets. Ideally, you only set the bevel on a razor ONCE. You will touch up the edge frequently, even if you only own one razor, and BTW if you start with two, you have one you can shave with while you attempt to hone the other one. For film, settle for nothing less than 3M type 261X or 262X, not no-name stuff from the internet. For stones, the ever popular 12k Naniwa SuperStone is very easy to learn and very consistent. Not cheap, but far cheaper than a good coti or Jnat of similar size, especially when you consider the cost of the menagerie of slurry stones, especially for a Jnat, that you will try. So film, or Nani 12k.

Once you can do a touchup and get a very good edge, THEN try to set a bevel from scratch. A Chosera 1k or 600 works nicely, especially if you also have something like a Kuromaku or Suehiro 320 grit. A Norton 1k might be a little cheaper, and is VERY different but it cuts fast and wears slowly. The main con is it is much coarser than the grit rating suggests, and it leaves a consistent but rather deep scratch pattern.

A GD is cheap cannon fodder. It can also be a bit frustrating, though not as frustrating as an entry level Dovo. However, a good vintage would be better for learning on. Maybe a Genco or Ontario or the iconic Union Spike.

When you have tried and tried, and are about to give up, try honing by The Method.

 

[H Brad Boonshaft]

“Do you all think I should shelf the King and learn learn to set bevel on Chosera 1k/Arata Evolution?”



It does not matter. King/ Matsunaga, is one of the oldest synthetic Japanese stone maker and the King 1k is the most popular stone ever sold.

I think they got it down.

Yes, stones “feel” different, but all 1k’s make 1k stria. Some a little faster, some slower, a few more or fewer laps.

New guys always want to buy the “best” stone or the cheapest. There is no best stone. The King 1k will set a bevel just fine, and no one will ever be able to tell which stone you used.

As said buy a couple of vintage beaters and start honing, learn to recognize a fully set bevel and remove ALL the stria from each previous stone.

You have everything you need.

There are no magic stones.