Ideal setup for honing

[Valkosipuli]

I have few straight razors wich really need to be honed. I dont have any kind of hone set and i was looking over the internet for advices.

Would this be the optimal setup for honing:

1.Norton "Waterstone" 4000/8000 3"
2.Thiers-Issard 4 Sided Paddle Strop with these pastes on the sides (Diamond Sharpening Paste, .25 micron,.50 micron,1.0 micron and 9.0 micron)

After these, do you need any kind of leather strop for honing? I mean the hones like this: http://www.classicshaving.com/catalo...944/817068.htm

As i allready would have thiers with good micron pastes, is there any need for two sided leather hone anymore?

[superbleu]

you will still want a 1K stone to set the bevel.

You will also still want a hanging strop, as this will be used between every use of your razor, the pasted paddle strop should be used only as needed, which should be maybe once a month or every other month

[Valkosipuli]

Thanks for the info! Im going to buy those at around march. Heh the price bumbs up a little.

How often do you need to buy new water stone or do they last like forever?

[gary haywood]

I have both norton and 4 sided paddle with bio paste plus cro ox.

To keep it simple. I recomend a 1k stone Norton or if you can aford it dmt 1200. 6x2 coticule.Every day strop. treat the canvas side with issards rasoir paste. Thats it. The ti rasoir paste is brill for touch up's and as final finish after your coticule. You can hone on your coticule untill your easily shaving arm hair then hit your paste on canvas for 20 laps , and your razor will shave great.

[superbleu]

How often do you need to buy new water stone or do they last like forever?

Need to? once or twice a lifetime if you are unlucky and drop it or damage it some other way.

Want to......well a few times a month to a few times a year depending on how quickly and to what extent HAD takes hold of your soul.

There is usually a pretty good deal for the norton stones on amazon, you get the flattenng/lapping stone, 220/1K and 4K/8K combo stone for a little over 100 dollars.

[gary haywood]

Thats a good deal

[azmark]

Depends if you already had the blades shave ready or are they needing a restoration?

If they are just dull because they haven't been used in a while you wouldn't more than a 3k-5k to set the bevel. If it is chipped or in horrible shape then a 1k.

[chess1]

I think there is NONE out there.
You buy 1 stone next day you wanna buy a little better one and so on.
Never stopping addiction.

[professorchaos]

Ideal depends almost entirely on the edge you want to end up with and the razors you will be honing.

[SliceOfLife]

I think that a lot of the lower grit synthetic choice is really personal preference. I've found I prefer cheap-feeling stones that soak up a ton of water, crumble like chalk if abused, and cut faster than Jack Nicholson in Joker Makeup with a scalpel. Really I want a DMT, sadly DMT has no 4k... if they had one, I'd own it.

[mitchshrader]

The only thing there's more arguement over than hones, is women. Religion and politics take a back seat.

I don't know anyone who uses my setup, and besides a few minimalists not many folks who do it exactly alike.

For a full sharpening on a very dull razor, or a dull knife.. I start with a King 1200, go to a vintage Aoto, Belgian blue with slurry, then water, the coticule with slurry, then water, then a karasu with very light slurry, then the chinese with water.

For minor touch ups I start with the Belgian blue and move to the coticule, using water with both. Done.