Thread: Chinese 12k: Wet vs. Dry

What do you guys do in terms of the chinese 12k? Wet or dry while honing? The box obviously states to use water, but those pics on Zowadas website always seemed to show a better edge while honing dry. I have done both and can't say I've come to a conclusion yet. Dry feels more natural for that particular stone- smoother maybe. Just curious if anyone has a preference.

I've used mine only wet so far.

I have used mine both ways and I don't think that I can tell any difference. It's so hard and slow cutting that I don't think it removes that much steel while polishing. I feel that it is probably best for the stone to use it wet so that's the method that I have landed on. FWIW, I'm only using it after a coticule.

If I'm using it to finish up a razor with a new edge, I use it wet always. However, I have used it dry when I wanted a minor touchup to a razorr that's had slight use; one it was faster than getting it wet/soaking, and two it felt finer/smoother while honing like you stated.

I use mine wet...always. I want the swarf to be moved out of the way.

I also have found that it works nicely in a progression of 8K-coticule-escher-chinese 12k-chrome ox.

One day, I'll lower the level of my stubbornness and add one of those to my collection. You guys' posting about them here is bad for my wallet.
In fact, most of the things on this site are bad for my wallet.


John P.

Originally Posted by randydance062449

I also have found that it works nicely in a progression of 8K-coticule-escher-chinese 12k-chrome ox.

Randy, you find that the chinese has enough of an edge on the escher to warrant this progression?

I'm surprised. I have a chinese but I rarely use it; I think of it as a good (if slower) equivalent to the Y/G, and a nice big backup if God forbid I ever break the escher. But the edges I get from it don't seem any finer, and certainly not enough to warrant progressing.

But I tend to take your honing advice as gospel – it has yet to fail me – so maybe I need to play with the chinese more.

If I recall correctly, the pictures on Zowada's website showed that most stones gave a finer bevel finish with NO slurry vs. with slurry. In the paragraph before the pictures it says that ALL stones were used wet, except the spyderco which was used dry. Spyderco recommends that you use the ultra fine stone dry.


Ben

I always thought that using water/oil on a sharpening stone was solely to remove the grit particles from the stone. In theory, this removal would enable better contact between blade and stone ... vs. blade/shavings/stone.

Also, it is my perception that this grit removal would play a larger part with lower grit stones... to keep the shavings out of the recesses of the stone. Since the 12k is such a dense and fine grit stone I would think that the edge would easily just push these loose particles out of the way, keeping the good blade to stone contact.

Sure. I think there is a difference between wet and dry on a 12k. It's just a really small difference. So small in fact, that the edge would be properly polished before any real differences arise.


Well, it's just a theory ... lol