Mizuochi Video

Gentlemen,

I believe that this video by Mizuochi San might be of interest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUN7NLf03rQ

Some interesting things that I saw, in no particular order:

- His tomo nagura is a Mikawa. I have a lot of them and only two are finishing (tomo) grade.
- He uses diamond paste, saying that the honyama edge is too sharp. I think that he’s referring to the ‘deburring’ step mentioned by Iwasaki who used CrOx on serge fabric. I think that both of them are just putting a synth modified edge on their razors, especially since his nagura is a Mikawa. But maybe the Mikawa is what his particular hone ‘likes’?
- He does hand stropping
- He uses HHT to determine shave readiness
- He uses circles/ellipses followed by straight strokes (actually ‘figure 8’ strokes). I’ve done the same for years.
- Everything that he uses is fairly cheap, except the Shapton Glass Diamond Lapping Plate which likely cost more than everything else together. I know Glen uses one, and I do too (bought mine used).
- His ‘figure 8’ strokes are properly done, those won’t wear the toe excessively
- he hones with the stone ‘sideways’

Enjoy!

Thank you, great video.

Comparing to an older video - he uses mejiro. He still uses the same base stone as he was in 2013. Doesn't seem Mizuochi san is a stone collector :)

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Originally Posted by alex1921

Comparing to an older video - he uses mejiro. He still uses the same base stone as he was in 2013. Doesn't seem Mizuochi san is a stone collector :)

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Ha ha, I agree Alex. I’ve always suspected that the purpose of the diamond paste ‘deburring’ is really just to bump the edge with paste like coti people do, because many cotis aren’t fine enough for many people. Diamond pastes will erase a JNat edge in very few strokes.

They got a stone from Hatanaka most likely, and assumed that they were sufficient. I have 4 Hatanakas including some quite pricey ones, and none of them are really very good razor finishers.

You know as well as I do, that to get the best JNat or coticule, you’re going to have to buy a number of them and test/high grade them. You can’t go to any dealer whether it’s Alex, Max, Hatanaka, or Takeshi and reliably just buy one stone that’s in the top 1%. You just can’t, nature doesn’t work that way.

Yeah, his Jnat looks like one of the Iwasaki Select stones they used to sell.
I've got one & it's a great pre-polisher but not a razor finisher for me.

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Originally Posted by onimaru55

Yeah, his Jnat looks like one of the Iwasaki Select stones they used to sell.
I've got one & it's a great pre-polisher but not a razor finisher for me.

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I’ve noted that on Yahoo Japan, they describe the best stones as ‘Finest’. ‘Highest quality’ may be close. ‘Luxury’ is a lower quality.

They don’t sling the word ‘Finest’ around like the Americans who use ‘Rare’ in every auction.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Steve56

Ha ha, I agree Alex. I’ve always suspected that the purpose of the diamond paste ‘deburring’ is really just to bump the edge with paste like coti people do, because many cotis aren’t fine enough for many people. Diamond pastes will erase a JNat edge in very few strokes.

They got a stone from Hatanaka most likely, and assumed that they were sufficient. I have 4 Hatanakas including some quite pricey ones, and none of them are really very good razor finishers.

You know as well as I do, that to get the best JNat or coticule, you’re going to have to buy a number of them and test/high grade them. You can’t go to any dealer whether it’s Alex, Max, Hatanaka, or Takeshi and reliably just buy one stone that’s in the top 1%. You just can’t, nature doesn’t work that way.

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Very true.

One thing I took away from the video more than anything else is that Mizuochi San hones on both sides of his kamisori equally.

I was noticing this too. But who am I to judge. I've only honed the two I have doing it the Glen way. Worked!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by markbignosekelly

One thing I took away from the video more than anything else is that Mizuochi San hones on both sides of his kamisori equally.

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I think his strokes are not equally divided on the stone i.e. he does a full length stroke for omote side then a shorter X stroke on return, sliding off the stone sooner, effectively doing less honing on the ura. It's subtle but it's there & more obvious at end stage. In the early stages he may be setting the bevel & honing more equally.

Anyone know what grit diamond paste he's using ?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by onimaru55

I think his strokes are not equally divided on the stone i.e. he does a full length stroke for omote side then a shorter X stroke on return, sliding off the stone sooner, effectively doing less honing on the ura. It's subtle but it's there & more obvious at end stage. In the early stages he may be setting the bevel & honing more equally.

Anyone know what grit diamond paste he's using ?

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1 micron, look at 4:08 (other folks comments).

Here ya go

Attachment 342716