Thread: Finishing hone

I am finishing off an 8K hone. Getting some good shaves, and would like to try a finishing hone. I was thinking of a chinese 12k. I hear good things about them, especially for the price. Where are good places to get these. I don't have experience in picking these, so would like to buy from someone who has a good reputation. Also willing to look at other possibilities. I have tried chromium oxide after the 8k, but not sure if that is as good.

Thanks,

Joe

Woodcraft is a good place to get them. However, as a natural stone, they have no real grit designation and some will, and some will not, improve an 8k edge.

My favorite inexpensive finisher is the Tsushima Ocean Blue (small size) from Amazon for about $35. I like it better than my Cnat.

I personally have not tried it but I would suggest honing film. It is suppose to be very cheap and I hear few people like it.

I really like my Vermio finisher. You can get a decent sized one for not that much money.

Griffith Shaving Goods carries a variety of finishing hones. Check out

https://www.griffithshavinggoods.com...-honing-stones

The owner will also give you good advice if you email him and describe what you are looking for.

I have several finishers: a Naniwa 12K, a C12K, an ILR, a Vermio, a Welsh LLyn Melyllyn slate, and a surgical black Arkansas. Currently, my favorites are the Vermio and ILR. I also have a Zulu Grey on order that I hope will compete favorably.

I also have another C12K, a Coticule, and a Tsushima ocean blue, that I considered as suitable finishers at one time, but I found the stones mentioned earlier in my post to produce better edges, so I now use these as pre-finishers.

People always comment on the variance in Chinese Guangxi hones, but I think there can be a similar variance in nearly any type of natural hone. You either purchase from someone who guarantees the performance, or take your chances on getting a good one.

I think it's interesting that at one time or another "everyone" recommends the Naniwa 12K as a finisher but no one seems to actually use one for long.

It's similar to talking about Coticule edges. Does anyone actually finish on a Coticule? It seems that there is always an Escher or Jnat used after that so what is the attraction to the Coticule?

I'm not being snarky here. I really am interested in the answers.

Originally Posted by binder

I am finishing off an 8K hone. Getting some good shaves, and would like to try a finishing hone. I was thinking of a chinese 12k. I hear good things about them, especially for the price. Where are good places to get these. I don't have experience in picking these, so would like to buy from someone who has a good reputation. Also willing to look at other possibilities. I have tried chromium oxide after the 8k, but not sure if that is as good.

Thanks,

Joe

What are you using as an "8K hone"? The "8k" rating can vary depending on the hone or stone in question, as can its successor based on what it actually is.

If you actually believe that no one uses a Naniwa 12k for long then there should be plenty of used ones for sale. Yet how often do they come up?

Originally Posted by Utopian

If you actually believe that no one uses a Naniwa 12k for long then there should be plenty of used ones for sale. Yet how often do they come up?

I have bought 3, 2 used. I have sold 2, and keep one at all times! I think there will Always be a Nani12 in my progression. Some times its the last stone, sometimes its the next stop on the way to a Jnat or similar. Next used one that I grab, I'm going to experiment with it slurried. I recall reading here some one got a lot of mileage out of one that way. I think a coti finish is fine, but I like the 12 better. everything above that is just gravy