OMG...I'm getting a HAD itch!

I find myself Googling different types of hones late at night when my family is asleep. How should I first start scratching this itch?

Go for a simple barber's hone or just jump straight into a coticule? Or is restraint just an excercise in futility... get a barber's hone, Chinese 12K, a Coticule, etc... etc... etc.....

Uh oh. HAD can be quite expensive! Expensive but rewarding.

The only barber's hone I've had is a Swaty which didn't do much for me. Coticules are a good starting point for a few reasons. First of all, they give a ton of feedback. Secondly, while you are learning to hone, you can use one to take an edge from dull to shaving sharp.

Swaty worked for me for a month or so... Then I got my Jnat... and never looked back.

Swaty's really aren't THAT much better than an 8k edge. Neither are China's for that matter (at least mine isn't).

Coticules are nice little stones. I've only got a 40x40 at the moment, waiting on my 150x40.

Generally if you want a little bit better finisher than an 8k stone, Swaty is a good bet. Though the lapping can be a bit of a pain... if you want a starting point for HAD, I wouldn't bother. To be honest, my Swaty's do nothing for my HAD.

Now: Eschers, Coti's, Jnat finishing stones, Vintage Thuringians, Charnley Forest (If I could find one)... those are HAD fixes. For those that like Synth's I'd imagine you could throw the Shaptons or Chosera stones in there too.

Well, the only cure for HAD is trying them all, then determining which ones perform the best for your needs...

SliceOfLife said:

Now: Eschers, Coti's, Jnat finishing stones, Vintage Thuringians, Charnley Forest (If I could find one)... those are HAD fixes. For those that like Synth's I'd imagine you could throw the Shaptons or Chosera stones in there too.

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If there was even one available anywhere, I'd buy it as a total newbie just because.

Imo you need to find your finisher first.
There are a few that are recognized as good for razors, Jnats, Escher and Turingian . I have never had the last two so I cant say exactly how they rate as finishers, but I have Asagi and can't be more happier.

Why do I think the finisher is the most important? Because its probably the most expensive stone you will own, and unless you can afford to try a few different ones you will have to be right on the money with it. There are many ways to get from 1k to finisher, and those are well documented and established. A simple set of 1,3,8k Superstone and Nakayama Asagi is all you need.
In my experience with my Asagi, very few razors even need to see CrO strop to finish, they are ready to shave after the stone.

In any case be sure to carefully research all options before you jump in because a good finisher is pretty expensive.

professorchaos said:

Uh oh. HAD can be quite expensive! Expensive but rewarding.

The only barber's hone I've had is a Swaty which didn't do much for me. Coticules are a good starting point for a few reasons. First of all, they give a ton of feedback. Secondly, while you are learning to hone, you can use one to take an edge from dull to shaving sharp.

Click to expand...

+1
A barbers hone gives a good shaving edge and is the answer to the question "what is the minimum that I need".

You can't do better than a coticule for comfort and versatility.

For me, the difference between a coticule and a natural Japanese stone is how long the BBS lasts. The comment about choosing the finisher first is absolutely right on. The last stone you use is the one you feel and, if you maintain your razor regularly, you will not have to go back to a lower stone very often.

SliceOfLife said:

Now: Eschers, Coti's, Jnat finishing stones, Vintage Thuringians, Charnley Forest (If I could find one)... those are HAD fixes. For those that like Synth's I'd imagine you could throw the Shaptons or Chosera stones in there too.

Click to expand...

Klarion said:

If there was even one available anywhere, I'd buy it as a total newbie just because.

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Charnley Forest would be nice, but it is a Water of Ayr I am after - already have a Dalmore Blue and Tam O'Shanter. The progression must be completed.

professorchaos said:

Charnley Forest would be nice, but it is a Water of Ayr I am after - already have a Dalmore Blue and Tam O'Shanter. The progression must be completed.

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Are these hones or are you talking about the Lord of the Rings?


Where does one buy a Nakayama Asagi?

Left Coast DJ said:

Are these hones or are you talking about the Lord of the Rings?


Where does one buy a Nakayama Asagi?

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Asagi can be found only from a few plces that will sell you the real stone and not stones from other places labeled as Naayama(fakes )
I got mine from So @ japantool, he is a bit hard to get a hold to but if you are patient he will reply to your e-mail and find you the stone you need.

professorchaos said:

Charnley Forest would be nice, but it is a Water of Ayr I am after - already have a Dalmore Blue and Tam O'Shanter. The progression must be completed.

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You know, I've known that you'd been looking for a Water of Ayr for some time now. If you hadn't any luck until then, I was going "advertise" one in very, very, very late March.

I think I'm going to stick to the original plan:

baber's hone + coticule

If I'm not mistaken, when you've got a coticule you shouldn't really need a barber's hone. Plain water is enough to refresh an edge on a coticule, isn't it?

Kees is still selling some NOS thuringians, if you're simply interested in something different.

Left Coast DJ said:

I find myself Googling different types of hones late at night when my family is asleep. How should I first start scratching this itch?

Go for a simple barber's hone or just jump straight into a coticule? Or is restraint just an excercise in futility... get a barber's hone, Chinese 12K, a Coticule, etc... etc... etc.....

Click to expand...

The cheapest way to beat any acquisition disorder is to simply buy the best right up front instead of starting low and tiptoeing up to it. I beat my impending SBAD years ago by purchasing a Rooney 1/1 finest, and haven't used another brush since. As others have said, the finishing hone is the only one that really matters. And IMO even that doesn't really matter that much as long as you have a really good one (of which there are a half-dozen or so). Nakayama Kiita/Asagi/Momiji/etc, S30k, yellow coticule, grey/green/yellow Eschers, Naniwa 12k or Chosera 10k, and a few brands of barber hone are all close enough in performance (ca 20k-35k) that the user's skill is the overriding factor. So your best bet is to just pick one of these and master it. While HAD is fun, it is your enemy in this situation. After you've spent a year with your primary hone then you can indulge your HAD.

My black escher is by quite a bit the finest and hardest escher I've ever seen. I slurry my yellow-green with it and it doesn't give up anything, just files away at the Y/G. I kind of suspect the reason Y/G are the "best" eschers is that they are by FAR the most common from what I've seen... and with the most people owning them and saying they're great, it's only natural.

I've never heard of an Escher of any color that wasn't an excellent finishing stone. The only concern is not to get the new Mueller (dark blue Natural German stones) stone and think it's an escher. What Kee's sells/sold are NOS Thuringian (escher stone). But the other stone Mueller carries (in larger sizes), are nothing like Thuringians. Yet some people insist on confusing them with the stones like those Kee's posted. The Muellers are decent enough stones, but they're no Thuringians.

I read this thread and am amazed at the wealth of knowledge available and being shared. I had no idea there is so much to be learned about straight razor sharpening that I am in awe of your postings.

It also seems to me that when you purchse hones/stones buying the "best" is a good idea because you will remember poor quality/results long after you have forgotten low/cheap price; this I learned from a working career as a buyer and also practical observation/experience.

My sincerest thanks to all of you.

I have no idea what you're talking about.

Dat Sum Course DMT I see's?

Klarion said:

You know, I've known that you'd been looking for a Water of Ayr for some time now. If you hadn't any luck until then, I was going "advertise" one in very, very, very late March.

Click to expand...

And I will be looking in very, very, very late March .

Left Coast DJ said:

I think I'm going to stick to the original plan:

baber's hone + coticule

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I'd recommend just the Coticule. The barber's hone won't do anything the Coticule can't. If you really want a second hone at this point, try a Belgian Blue. You can use it in unexpected ways (apparently after the Coticule w/ slurry and before the water only Coticule.)