Thread: Agate / Greenstone?

To me that looks like a massive form of Pulga Jade ie. Idocrase. It is visually a bit similar to Grossular Garnet, but not nearly hard enough. For a similar slurry Grossular Garnet would take about 60 - 100 lapps, using my 600 grit diamond plate.

You may get a better (finer OR shallower) scratch pattern by raising your slurry with a finer diamond hone, if one is not handy just use as little pressure as possible.

BTW what is the magnification in the bevel shots?

Thanks for the review.

Jonathan

Originally Posted by mrsell63

I am thinking that if I had a stone like this, I would try it with a slurry of aluminum oxide ( Linde "Ä") OR Iron Oxide .3 micron.

Does the stone feel anything like a Spyderco UF?

No, not close.

I have a wide UF, about 6 translucent or black arks at this point (I think it's 6) and the agate stone. The agate stone is entirely different than anything I've used, and I didn't like it on slurry that much for tools. It's slow for its fineness. If anything, it will have value as a burnisher after all of the other stones have done their thing.

As brighty is implying, it has some novelty value after a finisher, but for practical purposes it seems to pale in terms of a stone with a little more cutting power, like a japanese stone or even a translucent arkansas, which is a bit easier to figure out.

I like the agate a lot more for tools where you can precede it with something like a washita and then use a lot of pressure to burnish the edge with this stone and chase off the wire edge. The edge is exceptional as long as the steel isn't complex. But the pressure is required to make that work out, which is something we're not going to get with a razor. So mine's out of the stone pile in the bathroom and in the stone drawers in my shop where it seems to be more useful (with chisles, plane irons and carving tools - it has the potential to make those super super fine).

The more I use the stone the more I think I will never use it again.

So, my conclusion is: It's a nice looking stone although I can think of dozens of stones that I would prefer to use. If all you had was one of these stones I would feel sorry for you, its just too slow.

Originally Posted by Datsots

BTW what is the magnification in the bevel shots?

Well, if you believe the $25 USb microscope it was around 450-500x.. Although I don't really think its anywhere close to that magnification.

So, my conclusion is: It's a nice looking stone although I can think of dozens of stones that I would prefer to use. If all you had was one of these stones I would feel sorry for you, its just too slow.

I know I could buy an Arky instead, but for me to buy and post an Arky that's anywhere near 50/200mm I'd be paying quite a bit more. I plan to get one of these if only because I know it has utility for knives (like a steel) yet it's actually less than I'd pay for a ceramic steel. If it works on razors, whether as a post-finisher or otherwise, or even as a good looking paperweight so much the better. I'm also interested in trying the 6k stone from the same guy to see if it cuts faster.

I've also been told slow cutting stones can be used to pre-strop by using them to sharpen lengthwise with minimal pressure to smooth out the blade edge (could be particularly useful after a synthetic finisher) but this could be swill - I've yet to try it on a razor that's worth shaving with.

The same seller has a similar agate-y stone he rates as 15k - I wonder how slow that cuts!

Originally Posted by dadsavage

The same seller has a similar agate-y stone he rates as 15k - I wonder how slow that cuts!

I couldn't find the stone, can you post the link to this curse that some poor eBayer may end up with?

There is a seller on ali-express now selling the green agate stone for $68 + 5 shipping - 200x50x25. That's about ten bucks less than I paid.

I would expect that it won't look like the picture when you get it, though, mine doesn't - instead it looks like various whites and greens and lots of inclusions, but it is solid. The grit ratings on a stone like this are almost worthless. If you can force yourself to resist the urge to slurry the stone, it will become a useful extra dimension in your sharpening arsenal for things where you can apply pressure and use something like WD40 when you can apply pressure. Like jasper stone, it will bring something to a fine polish with the benefit of some pressure.

I am tempted to follow my razor finisher with this stone and just do 3 or 4 hundred laps and see what happens, but I hone so infrequently that I'm sure I'll forget.

I personally wouldn't use it slurried or with oxide powders, it just covers up its virtues - unless you're hard up for a place to put those powders. They do a better job on a razor with a balsa bedding.

I couldn't find the stone, can you post the link to this curse that some poor eBayer may end up with?

It's only a tiny stone

15000 Knife Razor Sharpener Super TOP Level Agate Whetstone Oilstone Polishing | eBay

There is a seller on ali-express now selling the green agate stone for $68 + 5 shipping - 200x50x25. That's about ten bucks less than I paid.

I would expect that it won't look like the picture when you get it, though, mine doesn't - instead it looks like various whites and greens and lots of inclusions, but it is solid. The grit ratings on a stone like this are almost worthless. If you can force yourself to resist the urge to slurry the stone, it will become a useful extra dimension in your sharpening arsenal for things where you can apply pressure and use something like WD40 when you can apply pressure. Like jasper stone, it will bring something to a fine polish with the benefit of some pressure.

I am tempted to follow my razor finisher with this stone and just do 3 or 4 hundred laps and see what happens, but I hone so infrequently that I'm sure I'll forget.

I personally wouldn't use it slurried or with oxide powders, it just covers up its virtues - unless you're hard up for a place to put those powders. They do a better job on a razor with a balsa bedding.

Thanks for your insight

If you want to try the stone, I'd skip ebay, set up an account on ali-express and get the 200x50x25 green hone. I looked at the buyers history, I don't know if I'm the only person who bought, but I apparently am the only one who left a comment.

Actually the first stone i purchased was a ruby/agate chinese ebay special. I rather like it and find it works great for touch ups. i cant say it is better than my norton set but when im not home and my blades need more help than my strop can provide, the small ruby agate does a good enough job and then the strop makes it really nice.

Originally Posted by Brighty83

Those 3 stones always pop up on eBay and I wouldn't be surprised if someone on here has purchased them for a laugh.. although I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't preform well. (I may be wrong)

Personally I would buy a known stone (Shapton, Naniwa, king, Norton etc) that works rather then some un branded stone that may or may not be consistent, especially for a beginner. The last thing you want is for some larger then expected particle to microchip your razor.

Aren't the Naniwa or Sharpton glass stone attractive enough for you? I would have though they would be much more appealing!

"Too slow" is somewhat confusing to me. Most naturals are some degree of slow. Jnats seem to be the exception to this rule.

When it comes to a natural finisher, I'm less concerned with speed and more interested in quality. To say that it improves an edge over a Naniwa 12k to me is fairly impressive. Particularly when you take the price of the hone into consideration.