Hi All, I will preface this by saying that I am Brand New to honing. New might even be a stretch since I haven’t actually honed anything yet. @speedster was nice enough to take me under his wing and is selling me a set of SuperStones that he no longer uses. Despite the fact that I haven’t used the SuperStones, I’m already thinking ahead to a natural finishing stone. I came across a couple listings on eBay for a Translucent Ark and an ark set (Soft, Hard, and Black). They’re nicely mounted in wood and look to be in good shape. They’re also attractively priced. So my questions: should I just stick with synthetics for now until I learn how to hone? (I suspect the answer is yes). Are Arks a good first finisher? I’ve heard they’re slow but they provide a nice edge. If I pass on the Ark and stick to synthetics, what else would I need (assuming coming off a 10k or 12k)? I’ve got linen and cotton strips, leather etc. I appreciate the help! I’m looking forward to being able to put my own edge on my razors!
I will be as blunt as possible. Learn with one set of stones first. Use them, until you have mastered them. Then you can move on to other stones. One way to find out if you have mastered something is to be able to hone several types of blades, with varying issues, and hone them correctly with consistency. To see if that is the case, have a resident "Honemeister" either examine your edge, or have him hone one for you. That way you can get a professional opinion. ..
If honed correctly, coming off a 12k should produce a very nice edge. Going from synthetic to natural stones is a different animal. Not hard to do, but you go from using water to using oil on the stones, as far as Arkies go. Welsh Slates and Japanese Stones use water.
I’d stick with the Super Stones to learn on. Arks are fine, but they’re slower and more difficult to lap and finish. Like all naturals there’s a learning curve. They can be an excellent honing choice, a good Washita or softer Ark can be a very versatile stone. You don’t need anything after the 10k or 12 stone, or are unlikely to need anything else. The German folks like the 10k Super Stone over the 12k. That said, once you’ve mastered these, you can jump off to different kinds of naturals, pastes, and so on when you’re ready to experiment further with edge feel. A 1k/5k/10k set of Super Stones was what I began with. I still have them and use them now and then. I’m currently using Shapton Glass Stones just because they’re faster.
I sort of took Glen's advice in this regard by stopping after my purchase of the Super Stone progression (yes, a bit OCD here). Despite my efforts to fight back HAD, I also managed to snag an Escher, which was one of the very few stones that does not act like a 'natural' because they are so straight-forward to use. Even for beginners. Of course, their pricing leaves a lot to be desired.
Thanks everyone. Sounds like the consensus is to stick to the Super Stones for now. I will take that advice. Am I correct then that after the last SuperStone, I move onto a cotton or linen strop them onto leather and them I'm "done"? No need for CrOx or diamond spray or anything like that? Trust, I am not (intentionally) trying to over-complicate this, I just want to make sure I have everything I need. Hopefully I'll also have a couple properly honed edges to compare to as I don't think there are many (any?) Honemeister's in my area (Southern CT) As always, appreciate the help! -Tom
Alfredo Gil (Doc226) is in RI, so maybe not close but not far either. A nani 10k/12k will shave well, most folks don’t need paste afterwards, but if you like a paste edge there's no reason not to use some CrOx or CBN or whatever. Get another strop/balsa, for pastes if you try them, keep your clean linen and leather clean. That said, there’s a little bit of art to honing a straight razor, just like there is shaving with it. So you may have a 12k Nani, but getting the best from it may take a little learning!
Any professional honer is just few dollars away, USPS will take care of the rest. Once you know what a good edge should feel like then you know what you are aiming for. Don't underestimate the 12k Naniwa. I don't use it but I shaved with a razor I bought on eBay from a Swedish guy and man it was a very nice edge. Same with everything in life, the more you practice the better you will get. Shaving as well as honing.
I'd stick with the synthetics for a while. You can mess around a long time getting your hard arkie's surface where you want it.
I use Naniwas up through 12k and finish on a Dan's surgical black. I think it bumps up the sharpness and smoothness of the 12k edge just a little but a 12k edge is plenty for most people. I'd say try the 12k for a while and then make your decision. Old Arks can be a real pain to flatten so keep that in mind if you start looking for one. I've tried CrOx on a bench strop and it can bump up the sharpness a bit but it also makes the edge harsh to me so I've pretty much given up on that. When my edge needs a refresh, I just take it back to the stones.
Stick with synths.... master those first What grits did you get? You will need some way to keep them flat. If you haven’t got them yet have seller lapp them flat before shipping. I like granite tile or cut out from counter top, checked for flatness with flea bay precision straight edge. Then use quality wet dry sandpaper for now. Less expensive than buying a bunch of loose grit. Maybe get a diamond plate. Get some optics. Get a sharpie. I like the carson 20-60 hand held microscope about $15. I would just go with naked leather strop. It will tell you about your honing skills. Get a hand full of vintage razors without major faults and practice. No reason you should not get a great edge off 10 or 12k followed by naked strops. There is a learning curve on arks. With your synth set up....You will prolly only need a finishing ark (at first). And there won’t be shortage of finishing arks when you are ready. In the mean time read up on arks you will make a more informed purchase when you are ready.
