Escher skills

**hatzicho** · 01-05-2014, 05:24 PM

The seller is a member here in the forum: Doorsch.
I am sure if you send a pm to him, he will answer all of your questions. Also I think he wouldn't sell the stone as thuringian if he was not sure as much as possible that the hone is one!

As for the difference in color of thuringians in general some short remarks:
The color indicates the layer from which the stones are mined. From these layers the yellow-green layer is superior to the other layers, which are green/gray/blue. This is because the abrasive particles are smaller and from another shape in the yellow green layer than in the other layers. There have been some investigations on this matter in Germany the last 80 years, beginning with studies of Max Volk in the 1930 til 1960 years.

Whereas the particles in the yellow-green layer have a size of 1-10µm, the particles reach an upper size of 20µm in general, the quarzite up to 50 microns in the blue layers. Also the chlorite, which is a main part in the yellow-green layer, less in the other colors, forms round agglomerates that captures the abrasive quartz particles. Thats why the yellow green stones are finer than the other colored thuringians. On the other hand, the material binding in the Y/G thuringians is less compared to the other layers, so raising a slurry is easier and will set more abrasive material free. That causes that the Y/G stones might be faster in honing with slurry even though they are finer.

All this said you still have to keep in mind: The differences are there, but they are small! Thuringian stones in general are superior. Also there are differences in the quality of each layer, so that sometimes the Y/G layer may have less quality to a grey/green one.

Whatever color you got - the honing capabilty makes the stone not the color! Enjoy your catch and report how it will work for you!

**JOB15** · 01-05-2014, 05:37 PM

Many thanks to everyone, for all your comments,advise and knowledge.
Would it be the norm to hold this small hone in my hand whilst honing or to place it on a table.
Also how many laps should i be looking at performing and im guessing they should be laps with no pressure.
I will do the shapton 1k,4k,8k,16k then finish on the natural stone.

**JimmyHAD** · 01-05-2014, 06:20 PM

Thanks Hatzitcho for another very informative post. IME the dark blue is slower than the y/g. My impression was that it might be harder ? Not sure. I've had one really old one with the blue 'Celebrated' label and the E&Co cup image that was extremely fine albeit slow. I've had another that was not coarse, but coarse by comparison to the aforementiond dark blue. That one had the later Escher label with the barber shop scene with the man with the top hat. Both had 'dark blue' end labels though, so I'm sure of what they were.

If I had your shaptons I would go to the Thuringan after the 8k on a razor and then try it after the 16k on another. Just to compare and see where it fits in best. Then again, it might also depend on the particular razor, but I've had good luck going to Eschers after 8k.

**WadePatton** · 01-05-2014, 06:40 PM

Originally Posted by JOB15

Many thanks to everyone, for all your comments,advise and knowledge.
Would it be the norm to hold this small hone in my hand whilst honing or to place it on a table...

Methinks the length of the stone is a controlling factor. I'd probably use the same platform (hone bridge over sink) as I do my others.

Here's how Glen holds a barber hone: gssixgun Barber Hone.wmv - YouTube

**Double0757** · 01-05-2014, 07:02 PM

^^^^^ that's how I hold mine! Don't use lather like on the video, that's a barber hone.

I would follow Jimmy's advice with one added step. Stop on the 8k, shave and don't leave until you tune it to your liking (with paste or back to the stones) then after you get comfortable try the Escher. Raise a slury and go for some strokes and check for increase sharpness, then dilute slowly until you get to water, strop and shave. If not much change. Then try going to the 16k then the turi with just water or very light slury and see.

I found my self that going to the 16k cuts on the time I have to spend on the turi to get a comparable edge with the turi out of the 8k. If you get the slury too milky or pasty (out of the 16k), it usually send back the edge on sharpness and you end up with more strokes and diluting to move closer to the sharpness it had on the 16k. So coming out of the 16k it's a more trickie on the turi. Also find that if I don't use slury the buttery is more of a fat free than the real thing. So using slury is my preference, but be judicious with it. That's why going from the 8k to the turi with slury is less fussy than from the 16k. At least IMH experience.

It's all experimentation=fun! With patience and practice, you will figure it out soon enough and enjoy the buttery shave from your stones. Enjoy Double O

**Sterm** · 01-05-2014, 09:25 PM

I'd put it in a different way:
"No amount of money spent on a Stone can ever replace the value of the time it takes learning to use it properly" (thanks Glen)

That is, stop at the 8k and start practicing with/out slurry, diluitions, etc. Try on many different steels and pressures and number of strokes etc.

If you only use it after the 16k you will never fully understand how it works.

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