Thread: BBW as a one-hone?

The issue with any "One Hone System" is the bevel set, after that there are very few that can't be used

Keeping in mind that Natural Stones by their very nature are quite variable..

Originally Posted by gssixgun

The issue with any "One Hone System" is the bevel set, after that there are very few that can't be used

Keeping in mind that Natural Stones by their very nature are quite variable..

Intent is to maintain a blade.

assuming a bevel is already present.

Originally Posted by SpikedLemon

Intent is to maintain a blade.

assuming a bevel is already present.

Here is my opinion for exactly what you just posted...

Without any doubt in my mind at all, I have absolute confidence that I can get a Sharper, Smoother, more Comfortable shaving edge off of a Norton 8k, Naniwa 8k, 10k or 12k, a Shapton 8k, PHIG, WHIG, or even most Barber's hones (might be forgetting some too) for the same price as an 8x3 BBW

I own a BBW and a dang good one at that, but it just isn't a stand out hone, not when there are so many better ones available at the same price point..


That is JMHO, but as I have often said "Natural stones are a romance, synthetics are an exact science, so make sure you have the time and patience to kindle the love affair"

G/L

If I really didn't like somebody I might gift them a BBW to maintain their razor .........

I agree exactly with glen. If you're maintaining a razor with leather and linen (and not a bunch of fast abrasives on a strop), then the maintenance of a razor is extremely little. It would be like light slurry on a phig and then clear every few weeks to every few months, depending on how good your linen and leather are. You'd want to pick a stone that does really well at maintenance, not one that does just OK or not well at all.

the only stones that I have ever seen that will set a bevel and give you a decent shave are washitas, and at that only the harder finer ones. Even at that, they set a bevel better when they're scuffed, and they do fine work a lot better when they're not. No razor gets them from scuffed to fine in one razor, so you have a dilemma.

Carvers and woodworkers don't even like the BBW for the most part, it isn't fine enough for its cutting speed. There may be a few who use them, but many many many more who use oilstones and synthetic waterstones.

Yes, absolutely yes, of course you can.
Not withstanding variation among naturals, I don't find a lot of difference to the coticule side (at least the ones I have).
Cotis and BBW are not easy to master, proficiency is usually the underlying factor.

I use a BBW to:
1. Come off a heavy coticule slurry, as an intermediate step before going to a very light slurry and water as the final steps on the coticule.
2. Re-hone my kitchen cutlery. The BBW does a great job on all my knives, especially the Japanese blades.

I just use the BBW side from a creamy slurry, lots of dilutions on circles. Ease up on pressure progressively to weight of razor.

Originally Posted by Phoenix51

I use a BBW to:

2. Re-hone my kitchen cutlery. The BBW does a great job on all my knives, especially the Japanese blades.

Ditto this japanese everything on natural everything. Even japanese chisels take a superb edge off of a washita stone. I think it's just the hardness preventing the scratches getting as deep. That's sort of like saying the sky is blue, I guess.

I've never been that excited about what oilstones do on knives that are too soft (like pocket knives that appear to be just above spring temper), they rely on the object's hardness impeding groove depth a little bit, or they'll just make a big fat wire edge on anything even on a stone that seems to barely cut softer steel.

I use a washita in the kitchen, which isn't a whole lot different in fineness (once broken in some) to BBW and some of the coticules.

I personally wouldnt use a BBW as a one-stop-shop, as Glen says there are other stones for the same money that will give you a much better edge. Personally if you want one stone only the Norton 4/8 is great and a long standing favourite on the forums.

And it has the benefit that because its well known, if you have a problem with using it there are people who can help.

The problem with naturals is they are so variable its hard for anyone to assist you with it unless they have a) the stone in front of them and b) enough experience of OTHER stones to be able to make a judgement call on what the issue might be.

Personally I only use naturals as finishers, I like the consistency and reliability of synthetics for the bulk of my honing and just use the naturals to give that final finish. Over the years I've tried a whole bunch of natural finishers (cotis, Charnley Forests, a variety of J-Nats, Thuringians, eschers and others) and even within one stone type there are a huge number of variaties. Its fun to try them all out, and to hunt out that elusive stone that gives you that wow factor, but if your aim is to have one stone to do it all with then I'd go for a synthetic and probably the Norton 4/8, or the Naniwa SS 3/8.. Though I'm not sure they sell those anymore, they may do but I cant really remember!

This is all just JMHO of course, you need to be happy with the stone you have and the edges you get. If you are happy, boom sorted hehe!

Good luck and keep us posted!