Hones - comparison table
The table below offers a quick overview of different hones, their specific features, typical uses, and comparable hones.
Hones - a comparison table
| Name | Grit (approx.) | Typical use | Comments | Similar hone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norton 1k | 1k | Minor and moderate damage repair / bevel setting | Cheap, fast cutting man-made hone. Useful as a 220/1k combo for eBay trash | |
| Norton 4k | 4k | Bevel setting | Fast cutting man-made hone, watch for wire edges | Belgian blue whetstone |
| Norton 8k | 8k | Finishing | Fast cutting man-made hone, watch for wire edges | |
| Belgian yellow (Coticule) | 10k | Finishing | Slow cutting natural hone. Grit rating and cutting speed varies between individual hones | Escher |
| Belgian blue (with slurry) | 4k | |||
| Belgian blue (without slurry | 8k | |||
| Escher | 12k | Finishing | Belgian yellow | |
| Spyderco | ||||
| DMT | Can be coarse and cause microchips until bedded in using light strokes on a metal object. Only coarser grit DMTs should be used for lapping other hones. Finer grit DMTs can have their cutting surface stripped off by wetstones, especially if a slurry is allowed to build up. | |||
| Barber hone | 12k | Finishing | Friggin hard and slow as all get out. Good for touching up shave ready razors that are just starting to dull | |
| Chinese 12k | 12k | Finishing | Hard, slow cutter | |
| King Ice Bear Japanese 1k | 1k | |||
| King Ice Bear Japanese 4k | 4k | |||
| King Ice Bear Japanese 6k | 6k |
