something interresting comming my way :)

ok, I'm kind of excited, so far I've been used to my coticule edge and only experimented with the Welsh tri hone set as an alternative but to my experience so far the Dragon Tonge is just a smooth slightly duller coticule edge and AJ's 15K Gray stone is simple to sharp for me or at least not smooth enough or maybe I just still haven't figured this stone out (the LM I haven't done much with it jet)

the reason I haven't turned to thuringian hones is simply the $$ one needs to spend to obtain one

now this one is comming my way for €22 and I'm kind of excited

Attachment 176997

now of course looking at this picture it could be anything but there is a label on the box you guy will recognice :D

Attachment 176998

it's a small hone 3 X 15 cm (~1"X6") but I feel comfortable with that since I learned to hone on a 4X10 cm coticule

I'm hoping this stone will give me an edge that is sharper but still smooth

by the way, the point of this thread is to get some advice on this specific hone, what to expect and what to look out for

Nice find, wtg!

Did you not like the Welsh stones? I ask because I have three heading my way now. You will have to give us a full report on how that one hones when you get it.

I think the welsh stones are fine, but the bottom line is not that they're too sharp, it's that they're too coarse. If you look at the edge they provide, it's a bit toothy compared to something like a finer slate-ish hone (thuri or a japanese natural). It can still feel keen because there is no orderly wire edge or defects, but a deeper coarser groove will feel keen but rough.

If you are addicted to green chromium, you'll find even a thuri feels a bit dull, but otherwise, if that stone is similar to an escher and you use it well, you'll appreciate that it is a cut (or two) above the welsh slates.

I don't know about that Dave, with the tri hone set I notice a distinct dragg force comming of the dragon tongue shaving WTG and I can also shave ATG while after using AJ's Gray hone I notice a lot less dragg shaving WTG which is no problem at all but shaving ATG leads to a lot of iritation afterwards.

but enough about the Welsh Slate hones, any advice for the La Lune Special stone?

No clue, never used a la lune. I had three of the AJ hones, and figured out that even with tools, they came up short of shapton pro 15k, etc. They just don't put on a bright polish, and the finest finishers put on a bright polish on hard steel. All of the japanese hones do, and the finest of coticules will do it. I know longer have my slates, sold them elsewhere. They would be a decent budget option if the shipping wasn't a killer to the US, and if people would use them without slurry for a while and let the surface dull, but the ones I got (including a gray one that AJ called 15k) could not put a bright polish on steel, and always had a bit of a toothy edge, especially if used on slurry.

The finer stones (the jnats and the eschers) are pretty much point and shoot as long as they're not slurrying.

Maybe some of the hones aj sells are variable (from hone to hone) and some approach the more well known stones, but mine didn't. A super keen stone should go with and ATG without sting - even a true hard arkansas will do that.

Mhh doesnt look like a Special Stone on the first look, but youll see when it arrives...it should be one ;-)

By the way, why are thuris expensive? This is coming up several times, especially unlabelled ones are easy to get, also there are people around selling nice stones.

If youre comfortable with smal stones you could also get a smal thuri for about 30-40us...

That stone should be used with a light oil, no pressure at all and a very low number of laps. Misuse will destroy an edge in short order. Special stone/la lune extra fine is beyond escher level. I'd say the only better western finishing hone you can get is a Vosgienne but they are incredibly hard to source. Not every razor can handle the special stone fwiw.

BTW, when it arrives please log your experiences in the french hones thread. There has been an effort for seemingly months to centralize info/data about the tremendous stones from France.

Congratulations BRAM thank you for sharing. Kcb5150 is correct about ruining the edge, much like a barber hone. Finish your GOOD razor on the finest stone you have.

Then apply a couple drops of light mineral oil or soapy water to your prepared “flat” Special stone. Make 12 - X strokes, passes or laps and check the edge. If needed make 12 more. Hope this helps and good luck.
MIke

More eye candy.
http://i.imgur.com/GB6YpiX.jpg

A couple drops will do. smear around with finger.
http://i.imgur.com/W4ImUpE.jpg
Stone may have stamp on the side.

12 laps then check the edge.
http://i.imgur.com/JRExJXD.jpg

Thanks for the advice kcb5150 and Modine,

I'm realy curious about that not all razors can take an edge from a stone like this, I have read this before about the La Lune special stone but I have a hard time imagining this since I have never heard about a normal quality razor not being able to hold an edge honed be a hard Ozuko finishing hone (I don't know anything realy about Jnats)

I'll take a razor from my coticule, shave to test it, and after I'll just use 12 X strokes on the La Lune, shave, wait two day's and repeat to see where it will take the edge.

I hope it's not to hard te lap because looking at my pictures it needs a lot of lapping, it should come in tomorrow :)

It's not a difficult stone to lap at all. the barber hone is a good analogy. They really will put a foil edge on a blade in no time flat if you don't pay attention. Some razors will microchip off of it, I've found if that happens, it will do so off the strop. Something about that hone exaggerates any pre-existing imperfections, I think... They are tricky to use, but the results when you get it right are so great you can't help but forgive it...

B][/B]

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bram

Thanks for the advice kcb5150 and Modine,

I'm realy curious about that not all razors can take an edge from a stone like this, I have read this before about the La Lune special stone but I have a hard time imagining this since I have never heard about a normal quality razor not being able to hold an edge honed be a hard Ozuko finishing hone (I don't know anything realy about Jnats)

I'll take a razor from my coticule, shave to test it, and after I'll just use 12 X strokes on the La Lune, shave, wait two day's and repeat to see where it will take the edge.

I hope it's not to hard te lap because looking at my pictures it needs a lot of lapping, it should come in tomorrow :)

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I'm done lapping my stone, it was indeed quite easy to lap, stil took some effort because it was hollowed pretty bad. after it was flat I went up to grit 600 because I didn't have any finer grit laying around at the moment, after that I turned to lapping it on a other hone (Welsh slate) and the surface it becomming kind of reflective (at least more so then the Welsh slate).

I think my particular stone hasn't been used with oil that much, it's darker on the sides where oil came in from the sides and it is slightly porous (I noticed this when I put just a few drops of water on it and then spread these out, right after spreading these droplets there is a difference in darkness between initial spot and the rest, this difference quickly fades away)

besides al these observations it isn't as beautifull as the one from Modine