which finish stone is the best for straight razors?

it seems like the popular question this month is which finish sharpening stone is best for straight razors. in this video we go over why i dont think it matters near as much as you might think. ive had good luck with quite a few of them and think that the stone just sets the edge up for the strop, and so it does not matter near as much as you might think. caltoncutlery.com
for a good strop with the replacement linens razoremporium.com
also maggardrazors.com is a good razor supply place

[@cheshirebowman4465]

My god I'm so glad I just clicked on you. This is by far the very best informative straight blade stone and strop video on KZbin. Thank you so much for the experience and information. 👍

[@joecalton1449]

you are more than welcome, thanks for the visit!

[@blairbarrington3737]

I find a lot of difference between finishing stones, but I wouldn't if I was using a loaded strop.

[@joecalton1449]

if you took 2 of the same razors, and finished them on 2 different stones, and only put them on linen and leather with no paste, how many shaves do you think you would still be able to tell the difference in the stones?

[@blairbarrington3737]

@@joecalton1449 I don't notice any change in the feel before the edge starts to dull. When I can no longer shave my upper lip comfortably against the grain I go back to the hone for a touch up, that's the first change that I notice. So, I would say that the bare strop never makes the edges equal.

[@constantinosgogakis4945]

Realistic and Practical👍

[@joecalton1449]

thanks!!

[@Martins-Shaves123]

Thanks Joe., 👌 a great practical explanation , you made lots of valid points !

[@ChuckinSteel]

I nerd out on stones. Love this video. I agree. They all do the same thing it's the grit that matters and a if it's the same grit then it's the same grit

[@joecalton1449]

thanks! nerding out on stones is alot of fun, but its way more fun to play with stones after you can get and keep a great edge on a simple stone :}

[@ChuckinSteel]

@@joecalton1449 100%

[@charliebradley4269]

At last someone takes the confusion out of stones for me. I need to master my stropping as I seem to dull the edge straight away on my strop. Thanks for the video and advice mate. All the best.

[@joecalton1449]

thanks!!

[@charliebradley4269]

@@joecalton1449 my king 1000/6000 arrived today so I'm all set 👍🏻

[@jim34morrison]

If I can give anyone any advice with stropping it would be keep the razor as flat as you can and apply no pressure. Just glide it over the strop.

[@mikafoxx2717]

The thing about stropping is it does bring you to a razor point. Thing is, razor sharp might have a harder time cutting a tomato skin than a nice bite from a 600 grit stone

[@jim34morrison]

@@mikafoxx2717 very good info for consideration. The type of edge is that is comfortable is going to vary from person to person.

[@rickmcstick7654]

Really great, glad i found you. Wish it'd been a few dollars sooner 😁

[@johnnyboydianno]

Makes sense back in the 1700 1800 barbers slash surgeon's would only have one stone usually cabourumdum stone then strop

[@littlebabycarrotful]

The best stone for straight razors is the one whose feedback you can interpret the best. Coticules and Belgian Blue stones were always easier for me than ultrafine arkansas stones. Ive honed 2 razors on a coticule and black ark without the pasted strop(just bare leather). They both shaved well. But they did feel different from each other. The shapton kuromaku 12k is another stone i bet would work without a pasted strop, but i havent tried it. Havent tried it with the Belgian blue either

[@joecalton1449]

well said on the stone that you can interpret the best!

[@beyproctor7673]

Great video on stones. Thank you! I will look for your video on strops. I use the Norton 4/8000 and a hanging bare leather strop. I keep the strop relatively taut and give 10 or so strokes. I’m not getting the comfort I think I could from shaves with a Dovo carbon steel blade. Just tried .5 micron treatment on the strop. Not sure whether It is better yet.

[@joecalton1449]

for me the first couple of shaves after honing will be a bit agressive until the edge gets rounded over enough on the strop to be really comfortable. i use the chromium oxide paste from maggards on the linen inbetween the leather and linen sides. so the progression would be, hone, crox strop, linen, leather, then just linen and leather for 6 months or so, then a refresh on the crox strop.

[@herbertgearing1702]

Have you ever used any of the old washita stones? Like all natural stones they are all unique but they are amazing for most basic steels because they can cut fast if you put a little pressure and put a very fine edge on your blade with light finishing strokes. They pass a little bit of light like a translucent Arkansas but are usually discolored from decades of oil to an antique ivory color and are mottled in color. I have one that is still very white on the faces and was listed as Lilly white on the barely legible old pike - Norton label. Most of mine don't have a label and they vary in density much more than Arkansas stones but they are all really good for chisels, razors, and my old carbon steel knives.

[@joecalton1449]

i think I have one that is labeled washita and is a large pocket stone size, and is new in the package, but when I reserched it, i dont think it was the washita that everyone really liked, but more of a marketing thing.

[@bobbyscalchi4013]

I wash my linen strops in the sink with hot water, a dab of dish detergent, and diluted bleach solution, and a nail brush. If im really feeling all to do, a dab of conditioner, rinse, hang air dry and they come back just fine. I swear by working a dab of Chemical Guys Leather scented Vitamin E leather conditioner into EVERYTHING! Couches, car seats, chairs, jackets, strops, etc.

[@joecalton1449]

and your linen strops stay flat during the washing and drying ok?

[@bobbyscalchi4013]

@@joecalton1449 Yeah I hang air dry them. Sometimes they curl a little forwards the handle. But it typically gets straightened out after one or two taught pulls.If not? I don't see why anyone can't just hit it with a warm iron and a handkerchief?

[@rickwhitson2804]

Awesome info. Honestly I've been thinking about getting into it . What's the name of a good straight razor to start with?

[@joecalton1449]

dovo makes good current production ones, for a practice razor its tough to beat the gold dollar razors, vintage razors can be good if you find a nice one. and there are a couple on my webiste that i make also. then a strop and paste from razor emporium

[@jim34morrison]

Joe, nice shop! Sorry to go off the video topic, but what is that blue auto you have back there?

[@joecalton1449]

its an old vw bug :}

[@jim34morrison]

@@joecalton1449 very cool, hope she runs! Water pump has been out on mine for years

[@aartdirks4188]

​@jim34morrison The factory didn't put it in. It's air cooled. 😂

[@jim34morrison]

@@aartdirks4188 🫢

[@jim34morrison]

You’re correct

[@trueblu8]

Can you maintain an edge indefinitely with a pasted strop?

[@joecalton1449]

i think sooner or later the edge will get rounded off enough from the strop that you will need to go back to the stone. but it might take awhile. one of mine will be 5 years since it has seen a stone here in a couple of weeks and i shaved with it this morning. you would also need a stone for damage, like if you dropped your razor, or hit the faucet or sink with the edge or something.

[@TyghtAlso]

Nothing teaches you the value of a good synthetic bevel setter like setting a bevel on an Ark.

[@Casiomidi1]

As always great 'common sense' video.

[@joecalton1449]

Thank you!

[@donsegundo5012]

Is it possible to achieve a shave equal to or similar to a safety razor using a straight razor? I have all the best quality straight razors, stones and strops, I am a very good sharpener and the reality is that straight razors always need a pass against the grain to make your face look like a baby, the problem with the straight against the grain is that irritates your skin, a safety no and that's why straights razors end up in a forgotten drawer after having searched for the holy grail of shaving... or not? And I'm sorry, but since I'm argentine, I didn't understand what grains the King stone of your choice has, 16000 or 1600 and...the other side? Best!

[@joecalton1449]

the king stone is a 1000 grit on one side and a 6000 grit on the other. i think the best shave comes with what you shave with the most. my son gave me a very cool 1920's safety razor in a brass box for christmas. i put a new blade in and the first shave was horrible, lots of irritation, not very close, lots of missed spots. but I have not shaved with anything but a straight in 6 years or so. for me a straight it the choice not because it gets so close {although i do get pretty close with just with the grain passes}, but becuase it doesnt get plugged up as i only shave once or twice a week.

[@donsegundo5012]

@@joecalton1449 Thanks mate!

[@ChrisDaBOSS7]

If a strop has paste then it is going to act like a finishing stone. If you like that edge then yes you do not need a nice finishing stone. However just leather and linen are realigning the edge but not removing steel. My natural edges feel the same the whole way through, but the sharpness does fade over time. You might not feel a big difference but a lot of people who use a straight do, and is one of the reasons we use a straight. If all edges that cut hair feel the same then why not just use a shavette or DE razor? Shaves can be just as close and you don't need to spend as much money on gear. You can argue that over time, the replacement blades for those will cost more than the straight, but I'd argue the time saved is worth the price difference. Only reason to use a straight today realistically is because you can create the edge you like. It is part of the hobby and the fun. Some people just want to shave with a straight and if any shaving edge works, synthetic is the way. Big picture though the whole thing is a hobby and the stones are part of that experience.

[@mikafoxx2717]

Strop will help remove burrs, realigning edges like from steels is mostly a myth. Anything that can dull a knife can sharpen it, so a strop will eventually bring the very apex up to a fine point even without compound. Strops work so well because they don't bend the apex with too much force and put a microconvex. At the apex it eventually always turns into a convex, as long as it's small enough, it's sharp.

[@donsegundo5012]

Es posible lograr un afeitado igual o similar a una safety razor usando una straight? Tengo todas las navajas, las piedras y los asentadores de la mejor calidad, soy un muy buen afilador y la realidad es que siempre las straight razors necesitan un pase a contrapelo para dejarte la cara culo de bebé, el problema de la straight a contrapelo es que te irrita la piel, una safety no y por eso las navajas terminan en un cajón olvidado después de haber buscado el santo grial del afeitado...o no?

[@Nebulax123]

To answer your question Falkniven Sapphire lol

[@joecalton1449]

that looks like it could be a really expensive stone!

[@Nebulax123]

@@joecalton1449 It is synthetic and they are pretty reasonable.

[@hirayaman246]

I own a lot of sharp...objects. On knives, nothing beats a stone, however on straight razor nothing beats a strop and paste. Edit : to answer your question, Spyderco ultra fine and Fallkniven saphire .

[@bahrana]

If there are no Japanese naturals or Turkish Stones in the mix then thats not comprehensive

[@nickfanzo]

Or yellow coticule,