Aliexpress 11.11 sale - are you buying anything?

[sd_baker]

I'm looking at

Gold Dollar W59 https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002525105429.html

Proyan glass 15k saw some conflicting feedback on bb, but I my finest stone is king 6k, don't mind experimenting

cnat 12k - not sure about this one. @rbscebu seems to like his, but it's a crapshoot, and I'm sure my honing skill isn't up to it yet, but it's essentially 20% off.

 

[LesC]

Got the Yaqi 24mm synthetic Atlantis and Deep Stones brushes coming

 

[rbscebu]

.... cnat 12k - not sure about this one. @rbscebu seems to like his, but it's a crapshoot, and I'm sure my honing skill isn't up to it yet, but it's essentially 20% off.

All natural stone purchases can be a bit of a srapshoot, some more than others. As a first purchase of a new natural whetstone, I decided that I could accept the risk for the price of the Adahee #12000.

When I ordered my #12000 from Adahee, I contacted the vendor and told him that it would be used on straight razors and asked for one free of inclusions. He told me that he would do his best but could not promise anything.

What I received was inclusion free, hard and dense. After a few years of use, I have found my #12k to be best for harder-steel SRs like my stainless steel ones, even better that my HBA. For many of my normal high carbon steel SRs, the HBA is the best natural for me.

Remember, every natural whetstone is different.

 

[craigq]

I bought a couple of Yaqi brushes (20-30 CAD). Successfully ignored most everything else. I wanted to pick up one or two of those Oumo brushes (I like the rabbit year brushes) but they are not cheap (about $70 CAD).

 

[sd_baker]

I have found my #12k to be best for harder-steel SRs like my stainless steel ones, even better that my HBA. For many of my normal high carbon steel SRs, the HBA is the best natural for me.

What makes a stone better for stainless over high carbon?

 

[rbscebu]

What makes a stone better for stainless over high carbon?

I don't know. All that I do know is that I prefer the feel of shaving with my SS blades off the Adahee #12000 compared to the same blades off my hard black Arkansas or my vintage coticule. Remember, every natural whetstone has its own "personality".

 

[sd_baker]

My W59 has been intercepted by border control. It's an illegal centrifugal blade weapon apparently.

 

[Gargravarr]

My W59 has been intercepted by border control. It's an illegal centrifugal blade weapon apparently.

Idiots.

 

[rbscebu]

My W59 has been intercepted by border control. It's an illegal centrifugal blade weapon apparently.

That's a pity. The GD W59 is an interesting razor to shave with. I only have two of them now after selling eight of them before leaving the Philippines.

I trust your "Bengall" PIF gets through.

 

[sd_baker]

Yeah,the W59 has a distinctly more aggressive look. I have had more standard dutch point razors come through customs unscathed.

 

[sd_baker]

Hrm. Not sure what happened, but the package was delivered and I have the razor now.

Maybe the item got escalated to a supervisor after they already sent out the letter telling me they'd destroy it.

This is an unbadged W59 and the fit and finish spectacularly better than the GD66. It did not come in a metal box, but a paper one like the 66.

The edge is shaves HHT 2-3 maybe (I forget the definitions as shavelibrary.com is down). But this edge is legues better than the Titan or other GDs I have.