Hone of the Day

[Mark1966]

Razor fresh off my inaugural hone. This stone only arrived two days ago from a seller who reckons it is likely a La Grosse Blanche and I didn't experience anything to doubt him.

To put it through its paces I opted for a one stone hone (not counting the Chosera 1k bevel set). Worked slow through slurry dilutions, clear water, strops and finishing very light on lather. Nice audible stone. Medium to fast on slurry (though I used bugger all pressure this morning so reckon it would speed up real fast) and slooow on water.

Result: Beginners luck I reckon as the edge left behind my test shave is phenomenal - a nice blend of sharp and smooth.

I swear that when I have finished these studies and have more time I'm going to come to your place and just sit and watch you hone. It SOUNDS so 'zen'.

BTW - any of those stones I've mentioned come to anything worthwhile?

 

[stillshunter]

BTW - any of those stones I've mentioned come to anything worthwhile?

Not yet, but we've been so close. I reckon the next one might be it.
If it helps I'm keen on a Les Latneuses.....if you can train your brain ray in that direction mate.

 

[stillshunter]

This shave was supposed to happen tomorrow morning, but I just couldn't wait to test shave the results off my new LGB coticule...esp. since the iinaugural Red Imp outing yesterday was so sweet.

The Fili-13 is one of my coddled ones - she's in my top three. She responded so well to this stone. A very mellow edge indeed. This will be tomorrow morning's blade, so I can really see what it's got. Can't wait!

The baby of the lot is the Gullatt. This one was touched up before heading off to a guy who wanted something agile. Well this thing corners like nothing else and the edge is very smooth, but surprisingly sharp. It's made in the USA, and not sure what metal they use but it kind of feels like Solingen.

The Bengall arrived in a lot last week - doesn't every lot have a Bengall? Yeah well I didn't realise it was this big! It's edge looked like a serrated knife and the stabiliser and heel were a mess. It took me a while but I went hard at it with the Atoma 400 and it finally complied. Even once all those issues were sorted the blade came out at an easy 7/8". Didn't turn out pretty but it shaved. Boy did it shave. Never took to my face with something that hefty before - even the tang is fat. But, honestly, I cannot think of a metal that likes coticules more than Sheffield. The edge came out a lot crisper than I expected. An interesting coticule this one!

 

[Mark]

Overdue mail call, an old and classic Nakayama mizu asagi that was very hard to come across, very clean, thick, very uniform with perfect corners. It's a very hard stone but it has that distinct feeling like honing on grease no matter what razor you're honing, very similar to my marukas (specially selected selected stones from nakayama). Been using it every day for the past couple of weeks and is quickly becoming one of my favourites. I consider this stone a collectors piece as it has become rare and hard to come across in this purity, shape and size.

 

[filobiblic]

Overdue mail call, an old and classic Nakayama mizu asagi that was very hard to come across, very clean, thick, very uniform with perfect corners. It's a very hard stone but it has that distinct feeling like honing on grease no matter what razor you're honing, very similar to my marukas (specially selected selected stones from nakayama). Been using it every day for the past couple of weeks and is quickly becoming one of my favourites. I consider this stone a collectors piece as it has become rare and hard to come across in this purity, shape and size.

Looks like a gold brick in disguise!
So this means the razors I send your way in future will return to me even better?!? Wow! [emoji6]

 

[Mark]

Looks like a gold brick in disguise!
So this means the razors I send your way in future will return to me even better?!? Wow! [emoji6]

Yes I'm doing a recall on the hundreds of razors I've honed! Just kidding, it's all about the driver. Although this isn't my best stone in my collection but it's definitely in the same tier, I don't buy very high end stones everyday so I was like a kid at christmas

 

[filobiblic]

I don't buy very high end stones everyday so I was like a kid at christmas

Probably cost it's weight in gold... I told you it was a gold brick in disguise!

 

[Mark]

Absolutely! A vendor told me that they can't even get them from the key dealer in Japan. It was a very lucky stumble to be able to purchase it from a private collection.

Probably cost it's weight in gold

I would say hold onto your gold, it won't sharpen my razors, this rock is MINE! Swing past with some steel and we'll rub it on this rock, you live close enough

 

[Sxot]

I love the fact you rub steel on rocks to make it sharp!

 

[Sxot]

I had a great honing session today which included a Bengal from chip removal on the Chosera $1k and finish on a Jnat using two different Naguras. Of that I should have taken a photo. The real reason for this post is I wanted to show you guys this. I know @Robbie would be interested at least. It is my late Fathers Scout knife which I think is from the late 50's. Hone it up starting on an Atoma 400, then on the 1k with slurry and finish water only to arm hair shave sharp.

 

[Sxot]

Tanifuji 6/8 full hollow.
The learning curve continues. This one had me stumped but it came down to the bevel not being set. But hey, only my second blade! I wasn't getting anywhere with the toe so I went back to the 1k for some half circles for a bit, then a rolling-x. Scope showed success so moved on the Vintage Jnat for the rest. Stone is a vintage of unknown origins except that it's from North Kyoto. Pre finish with soft Nagura; Nakayama Akapin. Finish with hard Nagura, which is a cut out from a Shobudani asagi. Few laps on linen, and finish on water only. 40 laps on leather and shave to BBS. Sweeet.

 

[bald as]

Excellent to see - the mud

 

[Sxot]

So as mentioned in SOTD, I have been trying to perfect my edges by taking some blades that are good, but could be better back to the hone. Last night was the 567 which to be honest was a fine edge to start with but I wanted it to be perfect. I started back with a heavy fast slurry and move to finish with the slow slurry then with just water, checking under the scope as I go. Between each step I could see the bevel getting fuzzier and fuzzier (ie scratches too small for my scope to resolve). But then suddenly something very strange!! I found that just with water I was going backwards. I had washed the stone & blade under the tap to remove slurry too. New, 1k like (easily visible under the scope) scratches were visible!!! I am confused as to how this is possible but there it is. I put a tiny bit of slurry from the hard nagura back on the stone and did 10 strokes. The scratches are gone...weird. So I went back and did more on the stone with just water, but this time with a focus on no pressure, using a finger on the tip of the spine. Scratches reappear, but this time much less of them, and much smaller/shallower. Final thing I did was to do water only on the stone, but this time under running water. I could feel the stickiness coming this time, so was making advances. The scope showed a well polished bevel, but again with some scratches.

I am at a loss as to how I can get deeper scratches on a stone with no slurry, than with other than the slurry is acting as a lubricant, or maybe filling some voids? I did have the thought that these were 1K scratches that were only now becoming visible. I ran out of time but focus tonight will be to go back to the finishing slurry, and use an acute angle for another 30laps. Then go to the water only at the same acute angle for 30 and confirm the scratches I can see are new, and not old 1k scratches. I did make sure there were no signs of 1k scratches at each step but it is possible they are hidden in the fuzzyness.

Anyone have any thoughts on this? Anyone see this before? I've lapped the hone with an Atoma 400, and yes, I can see those scratches in the hone but I was lead to believe that when lapped, and smoothed with the naguras (when building slurry) these scratches have no effect on the edge.

Anyway, love to hear your thoughts on the matter.

 

[Mark]

So as mentioned in SOTD, I have been trying to perfect my edges by taking some blades that are good, but could be better back to the hone. Last night was the 567 which to be honest was a fine edge to start with but I wanted it to be perfect. I started back with a heavy fast slurry and move to finish with the slow slurry then with just water, checking under the scope as I go. Between each step I could see the bevel getting fuzzier and fuzzier (ie scratches too small for my scope to resolve). But then suddenly something very strange!! I found that just with water I was going backwards. I had washed the stone & blade under the tap to remove slurry too. New, 1k like (easily visible under the scope) scratches were visible!!! I am confused as to how this is possible but there it is. I put a tiny bit of slurry from the hard nagura back on the stone and did 10 strokes. The scratches are gone...weird. So I went back and did more on the stone with just water, but this time with a focus on no pressure, using a finger on the tip of the spine. Scratches reappear, but this time much less of them, and much smaller/shallower. Final thing I did was to do water only on the stone, but this time under running water. I could feel the stickiness coming this time, so was making advances. The scope showed a well polished bevel, but again with some scratches.

I am at a loss as to how I can get deeper scratches on a stone with no slurry, than with other than the slurry is acting as a lubricant, or maybe filling some voids? I did have the thought that these were 1K scratches that were only now becoming visible. I ran out of time but focus tonight will be to go back to the finishing slurry, and use an acute angle for another 30laps. Then go to the water only at the same acute angle for 30 and confirm the scratches I can see are new, and not old 1k scratches. I did make sure there were no signs of 1k scratches at each step but it is possible they are hidden in the fuzzyness.

Anyone have any thoughts on this? Anyone see this before? I've lapped the hone with an Atoma 400, and yes, I can see those scratches in the hone but I was lead to believe that when lapped, and smoothed with the naguras (when building slurry) these scratches have no effect on the edge.

Anyway, love to hear your thoughts on the matter.

Hi Sxot, I've only just noticed this post as I was flicking through. The simple answer is, some razors don't like water only strokes, the scratches or angle striations can throw you off aesthetically but it does not mean that the edge is in any sort of trouble. I've had ugly bevels that have shaved very well, don't let this fool you, strop and shave, more often than not you will be surprised.

The reason you don't see scratches, or in this case angle striations with slurry is because it acts as a cushion barrier between the razors and the stone which is somewhat gentle on the edge, the hazy finishes are a scratch pattern made from a series of tens of thousands of particles travelling in all sorts of direction which what makes up your slurry. Water strokes encourage sharper edges but it's a little more aggressive on the edge which at this stage you have be ultra light, especially with very hard steel like a lot of the Japanese razors, stainless and modern blades.

Treat each and every razor differently depending on how it acts with your stones, inspect regularly and adjust accordingly. Have fun!

 

[Mark]

Vintage Boker on a vintage Nakayama asagi as a treat. This is a stone that will be buried with me.

 

[filobiblic]

Vintage Boker on a vintage Nakayama asagi as a treat. This is a stone that will be buried with me.

Kinda small as a headstone... [emoji23]

 

[Mark]

Kinda small as a headstone... [emoji23]

But it rocks. Literally

 

[eggbert]

Waste of a stone if there's any left when you clock out isn't it?

 

[Havachat45]

Decided yesterday to try one of my thuringians again as I have not given it the love it deserves to learn it properly.
The edges look great, however, we'll see how tomorrows test shave goes.
Just for the record, I honed a Worsty IXL, a Smith and Sons (Sheffield) and a FAMEX (that I know nothing about) all around 11/16 - 6/8

 

[Mark]

A close up teaser of another rare and valuable rock that just came home to daddy. Lapped, dressed edges chamfered at 45 degrees, smoothed out and tested thoroughly with a matching tomo (slurry stone) only to prove itself to be a winner. An ultra fine vintage mizu asagi tomae from the Nakayama mine. Now it's time to seal her up. This is as pure and as fine as it gets, that's all.