Where the heck can I get these chinese 12k's everyone talking about? Ebay has plenty of Japanese water stones, but not a single chinese one.
Seriously though, can someone recommend a place to buy a decent chinese 12k? thanks.
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Where the heck can I get these chinese 12k's everyone talking about? Ebay has plenty of Japanese water stones, but not a single chinese one.
Seriously though, can someone recommend a place to buy a decent chinese 12k? thanks.
Hello,
I got mine at Woodcraft.
yes, it's really chinese, but it's not really 12k :)
+1 for woodcraft :P they're a good price there. or the classifieds sometimes has them.
- Tam -
What grit is it more like?Quote:
Originally Posted by gugi
it is a natural stone, so the actual grit rating is anything from 1000 to 8000 (look up the grit definition and you'll know why).
but somebody felt it polishes like a 12k synthetic stone (which one I don't know because different 12k hones leave different edge) and few years later that's become part of the common name for the stone.
but in reality it has absolutely nothing to do with 12k grit :)
one thing is for sure it is a slow natural finishing hone from china.
Ahh, I see what you're saying. The bottom line, though, is that it finishes in the 12k region. And as you said, slowly.Quote:
Originally Posted by gugi
how slow is slow? 10 strokes? 100? 1000?
More like 100 :)
yes, I consider 3-10 strokes fast, 10-20 medium, above that slow
the people who use it on a regular basis report 50-100.
I also use one and would say that a good 100-150 laps is needed but you can quicken it up by creating a slurry with another stone.
Then work it down by adding more water as you go along until its clear then you will see the polishing effect of the stone.
I cant fault mine and if you want something that is not over priced but very good then you wont find better.:gl:
And we use no pressure on the finishing stones right? Just the weight of the blade, basically?
Yep, just the weight of the blade.
:HJ
Sorry for hijacking this thread -- Just one more question. The chinese 12k like the ones at woodcraft would be all we need in terms of a finishing stone, simply for keeping the razors that were professionally honed nice and sharp.. and basically once we do our 100 laps or so, checking with HHT or arm hair test will keep us from having to go back to pros for honing for over a year or so, right?
I had been scouring the net for a Swaty or something of the like (barber hone) without luck. Could this Chinese 12k be a comparable option?
I'm not interested in restoring, just keeping my blades as sharp as possible.
Thanks!
Ha!Quote:
Originally Posted by gugi
I saw the title of that thread and immediately thought the same response. If you buy a rock, you take your chance. Not all Eschers or coticules are alike either.
Regarding Swatys and other barber hones, just check ebay every few days. They constantly show up there.
Make sure you read Proposition 65: it contains toxic chemicals!
that's some great info, thanks guys.:)
What ain't made in China if it's for sale in the USA ? :D If you find a Swaty, or whatever for that matter, you will have to lap it. Keep that in mind. Here is a tutorial on lapping hones from the SRP Wiki.
Has Tony Miller hired a Chinese subsidiary then? :p