Thread: nani 12k newb question

Vell finaly decided and bought a naniwa 12k hone.
The first 2-3honingh were a pleasure but now i got the feel i did something wrong.
The surface of the hone has developed some gray round spots that seem to increase the.drag when honing.

I read on the forum about propper use. I used an ez-lap 600diamond stone to prepare the surface before use. I dont let it soak i just spray some water on. After about 20 passes the metal shavings develope a thin gray layer on the stone witch i remove with the diamond stone and water.

The thing is i get the feeling that on the.gray spots there is more metal shaving buildup then on the white part of the stone. Thus mahing the surface slightly "bumpy".

Am I dooing something wrong.
Any of you had a similar experience and if yes how did you solve the problem.

I was thinking mabe it has something to do with the thin layer of mineral oil i keep on my carbon blades?
Or mabe i did not let it dry well after use....?

It still hones fine just that it does not slide as it did when it was brand new...it kind of drags over the spots more than over the white part.

I make sure there is no oil or anything (except water) on my razors before honing on my 12k.
I then regularly spray water on the Naniwa whilst honing.
Do you tape the spine of your razor ?

No tape, i see how that could be a problem.

The naniwa 12k does have a "Granite" look to it, this is normal. IMHO the naniwa12k isn't the smoothest hone but you will get used to the feel.

-Clean the stone when it feels like its not honing nice
-Build up a slight slurry will give a nicer feel when honing, it acts like a lubricant but be careful as it will speed up the honing process.
-if the stone gets too smooth i have found on some stones this will also cause the razor to stick, a use a 325 DMT on my Naniwa 12K and that give a nice feel when honing. may be the 600 is giving it too much of a gloss effect.

If you think its really abnormal see if you get get a pic of the issue although from what you have said, to me it sounds like a typical naniwa.

Had a similar problem with my 8k. It had little lump spots that seemed to go grey real fast while the rest was normal. I didn't grid lap just ran the dmt over it a bit. Once lapped properly the problem went away. They can need a little time to lap properly.

Ok...so i washed it with a sponge and fayri detergent...and then i put a dmt plate 325 and laped it. It's much better. The granite like look got me worried.

Most of my Nanis are spotty. Doesn't hurt anything.

Originally Posted by Brighty83

The naniwa 12k does have a "Granite" look to it, this is normal. IMHO the naniwa12k isn't the smoothest hone but you will get used to the feel.

-Clean the stone when it feels like its not honing nice
-Build up a slight slurry will give a nicer feel when honing, it acts like a lubricant but be careful as it will speed up the honing process.
-if the stone gets too smooth i have found on some stones this will also cause the razor to stick, a use a 325 DMT on my Naniwa 12K and that give a nice feel when honing. may be the 600 is giving it too much of a gloss effect.

If you think its really abnormal see if you get get a pic of the issue although from what you have said, to me it sounds like a typical naniwa.

I have a bit of grey on the center of mine as well. I tape my razors. But what I find interesting in your post is the lapping grit suggestion. I, too, lap with 600 grit. I'm thinking of downshifting and re-lapping with 400 just to see if there is any noticeable difference in honing.

Though, in my opinion, the hone laps just like it did after the initial lapping and 1st few strokes. I will still try the 400 grit just to experiment.

Any bumpy sensation on a stone is bad. Simply lap the stone till it is gone.

Originally Posted by onimaru55

Any bumpy sensation on a stone is bad. Simply lap the stone till it is gone.

I'd listen to him and lap it away.

If you can feel something weird on a stone when you're honing there is no way it isn't affecting the edge.