Thread: Experiment with Cnat

So, what does the edge look like under magnification?

Sounds like an edge problem, not a paste problem.

I bought a cnat from that guy on eBay guangxi_hone a couple weeks ago just to test with. I have read about cnats since I first started honing but never got around to trying one. I hear they are very variable so I must have got lucky on my first try. Mine was really good. It was as good as my welsh slate from AJ. Based on my experience I don't see what more someone could ask of a slate. I don't see where all the hate comes from. Maybe some people are confusing inferior quality stones like that $3 yellow stone with real cnats or something.


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No, some of them simply aren't good finishing stones. And these are the ones that harm their reputation, because they can be more hit and miss than other types of hone. There's a few really good threads on them that I'd link if I were on my computer and could easily find them. But they've been tested pretty thoroughly and it's well documented. The good ones are pretty darn good, the duds aren't. There are visual cues and hardness variables that allow one to differentiate but Woodcraft and Ebay sellers don't care to separate the wheat from the chaff so there's about a 1 in 3 chance the stone you'll get won't improve anything over an 8K and may even degrade the edge.

I was lucky with mine as well. It performs very well, and is one of my favorite stones to play with right behind my Welsh Slates.

If the $3 yellow stone you're talking about is the one ZY sells, I've got one of those and it performs OK too. I just dislike the earthy smell it has. But it gave a passable shave that was an improvement in comfort over my 8k stone.

There's definitely no confusing the 2 though. The Guangxi is the better of the 2 stones imo.

I have two Guangxi hones.They both came from the same supplier and they both were advertised as 12K stones. One stone is what most folks describe as a CNAT. It is grey. It is hard. It produces a fine white slurry that can be used to finish a razor. The other is a yellowish grey. It is fairly soft. It produces a thick, yellow mud that I find more suitable as a prefinisher than a finisher. That is the problem with Chinese naturals. You never know what you are going to get. If you get a good one, it is a real bargain.

Here is the one I had. Very worthy hone.




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