Hones You've Outgrown/Moved Away From... What now?

Took me about three years but last year I bought: Chosera Pro 1, 3, 5... Suehiro Gokumyo 10, 15, 20 and an Ozuku Mizu Asagi with a set of Nagura including Koma. I figured 'Save twice, buy once' and I have been loving the adaptability and flexibility of the set and continue to learn greater nuances as I go.

I also bumped up to Atoma 400 and 1200 with two replacements each hoping that is enough for the rest of my lifetime with them. DMT I still use for Rough Work.

Trouble is that left me with: Norton 220/1k, 4/8... Naniwa 12k... MST Thuri... Two Llyn Idwals and an Escher (Dark Blue/Black).

My big question... Keep 'em, sell 'em, trade 'em or Hook A Brother Up? What do you all do or prefer to do?

My fear is that 100 years ago the Finest Eschers were just laying around most dirt-floored shops and we've all seen pics of border walls built of BBW's. I don't want to move stuff on only to see similar on eBay for stupid money just months later.

Not really sure what the right answer is but my old stuff is tucked away in a box and my Wife has been heartily encouraged and invited to contact Glen should I pass in an untimely manner.

What have you all done or intend to do?

I am not qualified to answer






Other than buy a bigger storage chest

There is a very large stack of hones and hone shaped rocks in the hoarders corner. I have double of some, those I should probably deal with, as in sell. Some I never use, just because they are not my favorites. Most of them collect dust. I have a small group that are my go to hones. Mine are not as neat as Glens. Then there is the stack of hones that I have cut but I am not particularly fond of. There are a lot of those. They may get mortared into a garden structure of some kind.

Seems like I kinda have the same problem ever since I bought the Shapton Glass 4k,8k and 16k. They do such a good job for me, and so fast, that everything else is just collecting dust. My Naniwa progression, myBBW-Coti-Apache Strata progression and even my beloved Escher haven't seen any action in quite some time. I thing that I'll just leave them be for now. I'm sure that they will be re-visited at some point.

Pete <:-}

So you have an unused Naniwa progression do you...
Do tell.

Just a 1k, 5k and 8k all the thinner ones.
My 1k bevel setter became a Chosera a long time ago.
I'm sure I'll use them once and a while and probably for mentoring and teaching.

Pete <:-}

The 4K side of my Norton 4/8 is getting thin. I could be shopping for something in the next few months. I was thinking Naniwa.

Shaun...if I ever decide to set them free you'll be the first to know. I promise!

Pete <:-}

Have to stop buying razors before I can redirect funds to some new synthetics. This last month has been a little silly.

Selling, Trading, Hooking a brotha up?!?!. We need to talk buddy. LOL.

Love the OCD box man. Much nicer than my pile of $#!@??..

GOOD TO SEE YA HERE BUDDY.

Well, at least I know I am in good company for sure!! Maybe that is what the stereotypical 'Eerie Ghost Moaning' is all about... Guys that have passed and have to watch their loved ones abuse or dump their gear...

(Misty spirit watching as Wife rummages through old boxes...) "Now, where did he keep his Hammer?" (Spies a dusty old box tucked back in the corner and opens out of curiosity...) "Hey, this weird rock looks heavy enough to pound some deck nails..."

(Sound of rattling chains and then) "NoooooOooooo, OooooohOooooo, OooooooooNooooooooo!!!"

@Jeff... PM me Brother... What do you need?

Maybe a "Wishes Made/Wishes Granted" area would be a direction to move with a Forum like this??

Prahston said:

Took me about three years but last year I bought: Chosera Pro 1, 3, 5... Suehiro Gokumyo 10, 15, 20 and an Ozuku Mizu Asagi with a set of Nagura including Koma. I figured 'Save twice, buy once' and I have been loving the adaptability and flexibility of the set and continue to learn greater nuances as I go.

I also bumped up to Atoma 400 and 1200 with two replacements each hoping that is enough for the rest of my lifetime with them. DMT I still use for Rough Work.

Trouble is that left me with: Norton 220/1k, 4/8... Naniwa 12k... MST Thuri... Two Llyn Idwals and an Escher (Dark Blue/Black).

My big question... Keep 'em, sell 'em, trade 'em or Hook A Brother Up? What do you all do or prefer to do?

My fear is that 100 years ago the Finest Eschers were just laying around most dirt-floored shops and we've all seen pics of border walls built of BBW's. I don't want to move stuff on only to see similar on eBay for stupid money just months later.

Not really sure what the right answer is but my old stuff is tucked away in a box and my Wife has been heartily encouraged and invited to contact Glen should I pass in an untimely manner.

What have you all done or intend to do?

Click to expand...

Well, until such time as I am able to answer completely, I give some away and I dig out one or another and hone with it and perhaps another in the series that is brought to mind. to remember how I found them and what I have learned since.
Downsizing is a pain but friends benefit and threads like properly run giveaways' are good places to pass it forward.
Just musings of a geezer with time and a long history of trials and results of many sorts.
A box of rocks is not dumb but each will find a way to get to where it belongs.
~Richard

To be honest I did a lot of buying and trying when I first started honing and worked my way through the Naniwa SS set, Chosera 1k (which I still like and use), Norton 4/8 and a few others, plus a variety of finishers - Coticule/BBW, Asagi, Charnley Forest, Eschers...

Ultimately what that led me to is the perfect set up which I use now for absolutely everything;

1/4/8/16k Shapton on glass with the Asagi to finish. I've yet to find a blade that, for me, this line up wont put a good edge on.

I used to use a setup with tight progression steps. Mine was 1/4/8/12/15 synthetic and a natural finisher. Now I come straight off my 1k to my finisher. I also use a 3k in between sometimes but I view it as completely optional. Looking back I don't see any benefit to having more than 2 (or 3 at most) steps in a progression.

sbogill said:

I used to use a setup with tight progression steps. Mine was 1/4/8/12/15 synthetic and a natural finisher. Now I come straight off my 1k to my finisher. I also use a 3k in between sometimes but I view it as completely optional. Looking back I don't see any benefit to having more than 2 (or 3 at most) steps in a progression.

Click to expand...

What did you end up doing with the excess? Got 'em stashed somewhere or did you move them on?

I suppose I'm an oddity in that I never had a collection to worry about. I had a nice Zulu that I sold. It wasn't for me and I knew it would only become a door stop. So why not sell it and get my money out of it. The only others that are collecting dust are the couple entry level jnats that I no longer bother with. Everything else has its use and gets used.

Being new to all this fun, i have Norton 1,4 and 8 plus a naniwa 12k. Was hoping this would do me but listening tovyou guys im afraid of Rock A.D. it sounds spendy. Hoping someday to try some Corsera's but sense my rocks have only had 15 or so razors on them, i'll have to wait.
BTW, Nice box Glen. Looks like a safe way to keep them.

OCDshaver said:

I suppose I'm an oddity in that I never had a collection to worry about. I had a nice Zulu that I sold. It wasn't for me and I knew it would only become a door stop. So why not sell it and get my money out of it. The only others that are collecting dust are the couple entry level jnats that I no longer bother with. Everything else has its use and gets used.

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That is definitely what I am struggling a bit with... Absolutely, why not get $$$ out of unused stuff... You know, so I can buy more stuff... And on and on...

@Gasman... The Hone AD struggle is real, Brother.

Prahston said:

That is definitely what I am struggling a bit with... Absolutely, why not get $$$ out of unused stuff... You know, so I can buy more stuff... And on and on...

@Gasman... The Hone AD struggle is real, Brother.

Click to expand...

I'll be honest, I was never a hone addict. To me, the hone is just a means to an end. Its all about the shave and the hone that delivers a good shave wins the Kewpie doll. I've never been one to hone for the fun of honing. In the early going when I didn't have any honing experience I acquired a lot of razors that were just to practice on just to get steel on stones. But once I got the hang of it, new razors and maintenance has become my only honing routines. Hones are expensive so the next one is going to have to create a better edge than the ones I already have. I think that is the key, recognizing a better edge (as you see it). Same thing with soaps and creams. You have to recognize the qualities that make one better than another. There are a thousand options that explode with lather, have cool names, and smell great. But none of that matters to me. The ones that consistently leave my face feeling great after the shave is the one that wins the Kewpie doll. Once I have that benchmark, the next soap is going to have to provide an equal or better experience. Hones, because of their expense have a higher hurdle to pass. The last thing I want is some temperamental hone that requires a certain lunar cycle and weather pattern to get a good edge from at $500. Some guys here hone razors for others. Those guys might find use in having options.

Nice opinion/comment. As you say, for the guy that hones for others needs more hones im guessing. I've read where one hone works great for new blades but not as well with old blades. Difference in steel? I have no clue.
Guess when the time comes to upgrade from my beginners hones id want something that works well with no mater how old the steel is, something fast and dont load up as much as others.
But im not in the market for buying hones right now. Need to knock the creditcard bill fown some first.