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Narrow it to three

R

Rattlerlv

I want to start learning to hone my own razor. I was wanting to know if you could only have three stones in your honing kit, what stones would they be. I want to minimize paying for crap I won't need or use, but I am on a limited budget of sorts (4 kids and a wife) so I am not looking to pay for over-priced stone for the sake of the name or how unusual it is. I want 3 (maybe 4) stones that will last me a long time and do the job right. Please include what grit as well, have have read so many conflicting posts on here that my head spins just thinking about it. Below is a few pictures of the "practice razor" I bought to learn on.....if it helps. Thanks in advance from a 100% noob.

-Rattler

$20140407_102554.jpg

$20140407_102855.jpg

$20140407_103007.jpg
 
Heespharm

Heespharm

Um that looks like a microtome.... Not a very good practice razor! Is it concaved on one side and convex on the other? As for three stones with money as no object, chosera 1k, nakayama asagi jnat with nagura... If your trying to fit a budget a 40 dollar king 1k deluxe with a 120 dollar ozuko asagi and nagura
 
R

Rattlerlv

Heespharm said:
Um that looks like a microtome.... Not a very good practice razor! Is it concaved on one side and convex on the other? As for three stones with money as no object, chosera 1k, nakayama asagi jnat with nagura... If your trying to fit a budget a 40 dollar king 1k deluxe with a 120 dollar ozuko asagi and nagura
Click to expand...

I don't do anything spur of the moment, I like to research and take my time. It has taken me almost a year to finally buy a straight razor (not the one pictured above). If it is truly worth it to spend $100+ on a single stone, then i will do that, it will just take me longer to build my honing kit. If there is no real advantage to paying $100+ for a stone, when a $50 stone will work just as well, then I will always choose the $50 stone. I know you get what you pay for (most the time) but sometimes price is just in a name and has nothing to do with quality over a "cheaper" alternative. That is what I am looking for advice on. Also, remember, I am a total rookie, I don't understand much of the lingo or the names you guys commonly throw out. Thanks for the quick reply.

-Rattler
 
Krodor

Krodor

New person, 1 stone solution? Norton 4k/8K with DMT D8-C for lapping.

That or the same DMT and a coti + slurry stone (size 9 bout or 6-7 inch long rectangle)

Both setups get you bevel set to shave ready.
 
L

Lomez

Maybe a DMT 325/1200 combo and a Naniwa SS 3/8K combo, both of which you could easily sell if you don't end up liking to hone. And if you end up liking it, you can always add the SS 12k.
 
R

Rattlerlv

Krodor said:
New person, 1 stone solution? Norton 4k/8K with DMT D8-C for lapping.

That or the same DMT and a coti + slurry stone (size 9 bout or 6-7 inch long rectangle)

Both setups get you bevel set to shave ready.
Click to expand...

I don't need to keep it to 1 stone, just don't want to send a fortune on one stone. I was thinking 3 good stones to start a decent kit
 
Seraphim

Seraphim

I think that razor will be VERY difficult to put a good edge on. Not impossible, but very, very difficult.

It aoppears to be a Pakistani made razor, which I have found to be quyite troublesome to hone effectively. Once honed, they are OK, but they use an unusual steel, it seems that is bizzarre to hone. It's like Kryptonite to your hone. You Need to spend like 20 minutes on a DMT 1200 to set the bevel, and then you can finish on whatever you like (I personally like using 3um follwed by 1um lapping film).

Give it a try, whichever you choose!
 
gumbo

gumbo

I'm sure there will be a lot of people that would say the exact same thing -
1. A Chosera 1K is as close to a "must" as I have tried. I never set a proper bevel until I owned this stone.
2. A coticule and slurry stone
3. Any of a million finishers. The last step is more personal preference than anything else.

Don't forget the importance of a GOOD strop with a linen component, or cotton if you can't afford it.

One more thing - I used to like wider mid-range and finishing stones (5 x 2.5, for instance). I still will use them, but for a new honer the wider stones can lead to a false sense of security, as the inference is that the blade is getting evenly affected by the hone if always in complete contact. This is, of course, nonsense for all honers and even more so for those with a stroke that has not become consistent. Furthermore, I found that my edges were much better when I developed a bunch of different strokes instead of straight passes I was doing on the wider stones. You can certainly use a wider stone for circles, X strokes, etc., but the tendency might be one of devolving to the path of least resistance (i.e. getting lazy). With a thinner stone, your stroke will improve more quickly and you will have much more versatility for targeting areas on the edge that need a bit more work. It forces you to learn the edge and hit all parts of it, so to speak. The added bonus in thinner stones is that given their relative unpopularity they are much cheaper.

As a last point, I made the mistake of getting way too many stones way too fast. I had a budget in mind when I started and I'm sure I posted a thread that is similar to your opener here (minus the microtome...blech). I blew that budget like Hiroshima, and didn't listen to the advice of "learn one stone" before you start collecting finishers and whatnot. I'm not saying I regret it, as some of the stones I got in that period I have now and would never part with, but it delayed my skill development by several months at least.

In any event, best of luck.
 
L

Lomez

To piggyback of Gumbo's post:

Here are the mistakes I made:

-bought too many hones before mastering even one.
-sold hones I shouldn't have.
-had too many razors to concentrate on maxing out one edge.
-made stropping an afterthought.
-started honing before even mastering the straight shave.

I'm sure theres more.

You said stone, so I recommended the Naniwa Super Stone series. But for saving money and getting a sharp edge easy, film is great.
 
eaterofdog

eaterofdog

Seraphim said:
You can get a Gold Dollar for $4, and they aren't "turds" at all.


Have you tried a Maxam yourself?
Click to expand...
I believe so, it was identical, but under a different name. The grind was bad and the steel was garbage. Gold Dollars are an order of a magnitude better.
 
Seraphim

Seraphim

I honed up a couple of Selective razors and a Krystal Edge razor. Both of which are pretty poor Pakistani brands.

It was extremely difficult to set the bevel. But with perseverance it can be done.

I think guys often bail out on cheapie razor and blame the razor instead of sticking with it and truly seeing what can be achieved.



Then again, some razors (of any brand) just never come around...
 
life2short1971

life2short1971

gumbo said:
I'm sure there will be a lot of people that would say the exact same thing -
1. A Chosera 1K is as close to a "must" as I have tried. I never set a proper bevel until I owned this stone.
2. A coticule and slurry stone
3. Any of a million finishers. The last step is more personal preference than anything else.

Don't forget the importance of a GOOD strop with a linen component, or cotton if you can't afford it.

One more thing - I used to like wider mid-range and finishing stones (5 x 2.5, for instance). I still will use them, but for a new honer the wider stones can lead to a false sense of security, as the inference is that the blade is getting evenly affected by the hone if always in complete contact. This is, of course, nonsense for all honers and even more so for those with a stroke that has not become consistent. Furthermore, I found that my edges were much better when I developed a bunch of different strokes instead of straight passes I was doing on the wider stones. You can certainly use a wider stone for circles, X strokes, etc., but the tendency might be one of devolving to the path of least resistance (i.e. getting lazy). With a thinner stone, your stroke will improve more quickly and you will have much more versatility for targeting areas on the edge that need a bit more work. It forces you to learn the edge and hit all parts of it, so to speak. The added bonus in thinner stones is that given their relative unpopularity they are much cheaper.

As a last point, I made the mistake of getting way too many stones way too fast. I had a budget in mind when I started and I'm sure I posted a thread that is similar to your opener here (minus the microtome...blech). I blew that budget like Hiroshima, and didn't listen to the advice of "learn one stone" before you start collecting finishers and whatnot. I'm not saying I regret it, as some of the stones I got in that period I have now and would never part with, but it delayed my skill development by several months at least.

In any event, best of luck.
Click to expand...


Lots of good advise from people and this sums it up well.
 
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