3 DIFFERENT SHARPENING STONE TYPES FOR YOUR STRAIGHT RAZOR

When you are wet shaving with a straight razor, your straight razor needs to be sharp. Not caring for cut-throat razors will lead to you having to go back over spots, which causes cuts and razor burn. If you are looking to keep your straight razor sharp, you will need a sharpening stone. There are three different types of sharpening stones, and each has its advantages.

1. Oil Sharpening Stones

Oil sharpening stones are the traditional Western sharpening stones, which most people have used. These stones are normally made from one of three different materials, both natural and man-made, and use oil to remove metal filings. The major benefit of oil stones for sharpening cut-throat razors is the price. The overall performance is good, but the slow cutting rate makes it the slowest of the three sharpening stones.

2. Water Sharpening Stones

Water sharpening stones are still new to most of the Western world; however, they are taking off due the stones main advantages. Water stones, like oil sharpening stones, can be made of natural and man-made materials. However, most water sharpening stones are made from man-made materials.

Compared to oil stones, water sharpening stones have faster cutting. The other advantage of using water stones for sharpening your straight razor is that it uses water, instead of oil, which makes it easier to clean. However, you will need to replace a water sharpening stone more often.

3. Diamond Sharpening Stones

Diamond sharpening stones have small industrial diamonds attached to a metal plate. The industrial diamonds that are used are harder than the other types of sharpening stones. There are two types of diamond sharpening stones. The most common style of diamond sharping stone has holes in the surface, which catch the swarf. This style of stone is simple to use and is very fast at cutting.

The other type has a continuous surface. This type works better for tools that have points that could get caught in the holes. Depending on your straight razor, you may want to use a diamond stone that has a continuous surface. The main advantage to diamond sharpening stones is that they are very fast at sharpening. They also retain their flatness. While they are more expensive than the other types of sharpening stones, they also last longer. This long lifetime makes the long-term cost to be comparable with the other sharpening stones.

Each type of sharpening stone can be used to sharpen cut-throat razors. There is no one type of stone that works for everyone. So, pick the sharpening stone that has the combination of advantages that you need to sharpen your straight razor without causing damage.