Thread: Nagura Honing - Video tutorial

Originally Posted by BigTex1775

This is what helped me a ton in figuring out how to use my Asano Nagura set I got from JNS, I greatly appreciate you taking the time to do the video and explanation.

One question I did have tho, is what's the average time it takes to run through this? I'm finding it's taking me around 45 mins to an hour, from start to finish, from the 1k all the way through the finish. It's probably because I'm very new to JNATS and trying to feel each natural out, but was just curious.

Thats actually funny,,, just so you know Mainaman aka Stefan is the other Admin on the SRP FB page where you know me from...

Yeah, I probably should have explained my progression a little better. After I set the bevel on my 1k, I refine it on a 5k before going through the Asano Nagura progression. Sorry for not expanding in the original response.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Thats actually funny,,, just so you know Mainaman aka Stefan is the other Admin on the SRP FB page where you know me from...

No kidding! I had no idea. After finding all the responses here to this post, I didn’t see the need to post the question I was talking to you about my progression. Every question I’ve thought of so far has been answered in depth somewhere in these forums. It’s been very helpful so far

Originally Posted by BigTex1775

One question I did have tho, is what's the average time it takes to run through this? I'm finding it's taking me around 45 mins to an hour, from start to finish, from the 1k all the way through the finish. It's probably because I'm very new to JNATS and trying to feel each natural out, but was just curious.

If time is of the essence, consider this.
Essentially you're starting on aggressive ,deep cutting stones then jumping to the other extreme with the Jnats.
A big time saver would be to slot in a 12k HNK after the 5k. You will have refined the edge to about as sharp as it gets, albeit a little harsh. Most if not all your Nagura now become redundant, saving you several steps as that 12 k edge can be finished on your base stone with a few strokes.

Originally Posted by onimaru55

If time is of the essence, consider this.
Essentially you're starting on aggressive ,deep cutting stones then jumping to the other extreme with the Jnats.
A big time saver would be to slot in a 12k HNK after the 5k. You will have refined the edge to about as sharp as it gets, albeit a little harsh. Most if not all your Nagura now become redundant, saving you several steps as that 12 k edge can be finished on your base stone with a few strokes.

No doubt this would save a ton of time! But,its mostly a synthetic edge.
I would at least go to 8k then maybe a tomo slurry to basestone or slurried base stone (light slurries) to get the full Jnat stones affect.
Fun to play with naguras but I only use a tomo now from 8k. Its fast and I get the full effect.

Originally Posted by onimaru55

If time is of the essence, consider this.
Essentially you're starting on aggressive ,deep cutting stones then jumping to the other extreme with the Jnats.
A big time saver would be to slot in a 12k HNK after the 5k. You will have refined the edge to about as sharp as it gets, albeit a little harsh. Most if not all your Nagura now become redundant, saving you several steps as that 12 k edge can be finished on your base stone with a few strokes.

It’s not necessarily that I need to save time at all. I guess I’m asking if I’m either doing too much of if it’s one that gets easier to go through once muscle memory and experience goes up. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the process and the smoothness of the edge through the entire progression. I have an 8k and a 12k Naniwa. Maybe it’s just me, but I do feel like the edge is smoother going through the Nagura progression, it’s just takes a little longer to get through it entirely.

I do feel like I need to, as Glen said, take my stone out to dinner more to get to know her better. Def a lot of things I need to keep trying to figure out her full potential Appreciate the feedback

Originally Posted by stoneandstrop

No doubt this would save a ton of time! But,its mostly a synthetic edge.
I would at least go to 8k then maybe a tomo slurry to basestone or slurried base stone (light slurries) to get the full Jnat stones affect.
Fun to play with naguras but I only use a tomo now from 8k. Its fast and I get the full effect.

That’s one I haven’t tried yet is just the Mejiro and Tomo after an 8k. Def something else I’m gonna try now. Appreciate the feedback

Originally Posted by stoneandstrop

No doubt this would save a ton of time! But, its mostly a synthetic edge.

90% of the work is at bevel set so then everything is mostly a synthetic edge unless you use a coticule or similar for everything.

Originally Posted by BigTex1775

It’s not necessarily that I need to save time at all. I guess I’m asking if I’m either doing too much of if it’s one that gets easier to go through once muscle memory and experience goes up. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the process and the smoothness of the edge through the entire progression. I have an 8k and a 12k Naniwa. Maybe it’s just me, but I do feel like the edge is smoother going through the Nagura progression, it’s just takes a little longer to get through it entirely.

I do feel like I need to, as Glen said, take my stone out to dinner more to get to know her better. Def a lot of things I need to keep trying to figure out her full potential Appreciate the feedback

Shave off your synthetic then shave off your next nagura . Is the blade sharper or smoother ? You will learn your stones by shaving after each one.
If you jump from 1 k to a nagura progression it takes a loooong time to replace the 1k edge with the Jnat edge.
A 20k synthetic edge is perfect for most people to shave comfortably but 3 -5 strokes on a dry Jnat finisher can tame that edge if it's a bit wiry .
The closer you get to the ideal edge width (0.4 microns ?) the less you have to do to adjust it to suit.

Originally Posted by onimaru55

Shave off your synthetic then shave off your next nagura . Is the blade sharper or smoother ? You will learn your stones by shaving after each one.
If you jump from 1 k to a nagura progression it takes a loooong time to replace the 1k edge with the Jnat edge.
A 20k synthetic edge is perfect for most people to shave comfortably but 3 -5 strokes on a dry Jnat finisher can tame that edge if it's a bit wiry .
The closer you get to the ideal edge width (0.4 microns ?) the less you have to do to adjust it to suit.

That's one I have def been slacking on, shaving after each stone. I'll go back and try that today on the 2 razors I still need to put an edge on. I'll give that a go this time and rotate the edge after each.

I do have a question though, and I don't know if it can really be answered due to how different each stone truly is. My understanding is Botan is around 6k, Tenjyou 8k, and Mejiro 10k, and my tomo I have no idea. With that, wouldn't using Botan after my 8k or 12k Naniwa synth be moving backward? Or is it still considered refining the edge of what a JNAT provides?

I'm starting to understand there are way more variables to the JNAT and different Naguras than I originally thought.

"90% of the work is at bevel set so then everything is mostly a synthetic edge unless you use a coticule or similar for everything."

Not to me. I don't need to bevel set on a coitcule to have a coticule edge end up on a razor.
Not sure anyone would believe that really.
To get a particular stones edge to a razor you will need to completly override what is there before calling it that edge. A few strokes will not do it unless its a ridiculously fast stone. We are not really talking about the same thing.
If you are using a different stone to finish and want the effect from it then"just a few strokes" does not really change it much.
How you get to the start of your finisher does make a difference - at least to me.
One stone honing does not yield the same results as a progression of different ones.
So yes, how you get there will change the outcome but going from a tomo slurry then diluting out to water will certainly imprint that stones edge much better than just a few strokes from another.