What hone(s), paste(s), or spray(s) do I need?
Contents
What Hone(s) do I need?
This question is one of the most asked ones in the forum. We have therefore compiled a number of thoughts on the subject.
Refreshing vs. Starting from Scratch
The types of hones required first and foremost depends on the type of honing you want to do.
Hones needed for refreshing a dull blade
If the only task you want to perform is refreshing edges that have previously been established by a honemeister (the process is often refered to as "touching up" on SRP), you need only get a fine grit finishing stone or a barber's hone for this. Either of these hones can keep your razor(s) shave ready for years.
Hones needed for restoring razors
However, if you want to set a bevel, or have many different types of razors, you will need a full set of hones. When compiling the list below, we tried not to mention brand names, not least because there are simply too many different hones (and a corresponding number of opinions).
A full honing setup
A full setup of hones will include, but not necessarily be limited to, the following hones[1] :
- A bevel setting stone approximately 1k grit
- DMT's 325 600 1200, Shapton 1K and 2K, Coticules with slurry
- A sharpening stone approximately 4k grit
- DMT 8000, Norton 4K, Shapton 4K and 8K, Belgian Blue with slurry
- A polishing stone approximately 8k grit
- Norton 8k
- A finishing stone 10k and above (this is often subject to debate, however)
- Chinese 12K, Shapton 16K and 30K, Nakayama, Coticule with water[2]
You have several choices of how to accomplish this setup whether you use natural, man-made stone, or Diamond style, but you are going to have to be able to cover those 4 grit ranges. There really is no true short-cut here if you expect to take razors acquired in state of restoration from butter knife dull or damaged to shaving sharp: You are going to end up needing these types of stones.
Why choice is important
Some people get different results with the same hone. Likewise a Norton 4k/8k vs. a DMT D8EE will get you to the same relative place; but most folks will have a distinct preference using one or the other. The point to be kept in mind is that one of those hones will likely fit a person's individual honing style in a way that simply gives them better results.
In addition, the beginner's no-lapping kit (which gets often recommended on SRP) is a DMT D8EE and 0.5 chrome oxide on a paddle. This will work for many people, but some folks simply do not like the feedback that they get from a diamond hone. Others, with coarser beards, do not like pastes because the edge they get will not last as long as a honed edge.
