Anyone using Apache stones ?

I'm getting ready to test the waters in the honing world. I thought that a good place to start would be with a finishing stone doing touchups. After that, I'll work my way down through the coarser grit stones and end up with a bevel setter. I've had the Apache strata recommended to me by someone that's been doing this since the 70's whose opinion I highly respect.
I'd love to hear anything that anyone has to offer information wise about these stones. Give me the good, the bad and the ugly. I also saw on their website that they have an Apache red stone. Anyone using those?? If so, any feedback would be good.
Thanks for any info!

Pete <:-}

The"search" is your friend :)

http://straightrazorpalace.com/hones...ural-hone.html

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Originally Posted by mainaman

Then"search" is your friend :)

http://straightrazorpalace.com/hones...ural-hone.html

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Thanks for the search link. Looks like I've got some reading to do.

Pete <:-}

I have a small Apache Strata that is a great stone. I've only finished 1 razor on it, but the resulting edge was amazing.

Just as good as my best jnat edges. Works great on plain water. I have yet to test slurry.

I have found them to give pretty good edges personally, but not great. I have both a tan version and a gray. My tan stone is both smoother and keener than my grey. A little more harsh ATG than a good JNat or translucent Ark edge in my experience, but I have very sensitive neck/jawline ATG.

If he is going to mentor you… do what he recommends.

Personally I would use a synthetic stone, a 12K Super Stone, but I am not mentoring you...

I like the apaches. To me they're like a really really good natural barbers hone. Great for a quick touch up and simple as pie to use. It's not really my go to finisher, but definitely a stone I like to have around.

I am on my second Apache.. nothing wrong with the first one, I just wanted more real estate.

I find it gives me a good consistent finish, water only. I can't lie though, I just picked up a Thuri to play with. So far it hasn't replaced the Apache, but that's not the stones fault.. I just haven't figured the Thuri out.

Consider yourself lucky you've found a mentor. Follow his/her advice until you are ready to walk on your own.

For the record my apache strata is of the cream variety.

I use with only water. I have finished a few razors now on it. They don't really eat steel so you need to prefinished or finished edge already before heading to the strata. Some extremely keen results though.

Haven't heard of it till now. Looking at the photos in their website, the cream variety looks like a mild stone but maybe I'm wrong.

Cream sounds like the same thing I call tan or beige. As far as I know there are only two Strata varieties, then there's the Red.

Mine is grey with really cool shades of green when wet.

Yeah my grey has slight dark bands. It slurries pink.

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Originally Posted by eKretz

Yeah my grey has slight dark bands. It slurries pink.

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I gave up trying to build a slurry on mine. I have a slurry stone for it, but the two together are useless. I can raise a slurry with a DMT, but I don't want to put scratches in the Apache..

I only slurried it when I flattened it, don't use it to hone. My Atoma 400 is so worn out it almost leaves a mirror finish on stones though.

Not sure what you mean by mild. They are VERY hard and mine is extremely fine. It does not eat much metal though. Even running a Kanna plane over it barely makes swarf and they are mostly soft iron.

The surface is almost getting burnished now with use, the middle has gotten really shiny. I'm guessing they would polish very well if the entire surface was burnished.

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Originally Posted by ferroburak

Haven't heard of it till now. Looking at the photos in their website, the cream variety looks like a mild stone but maybe I'm wrong.

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I am pretty sure these stones work mostly by burnishing on razors. In all my testing I have rarely seen them pull much if any swarf on a razor, even if I go from a DMT 325 to the Apache. Softer things like penknives they can cut a bit more.

Attachment 190874
This is my Apache stone.... I love it!

What a looker! I might have to upgrade my real estate if he produces more cream with red markings.

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Originally Posted by DireStraights

What a looker! I might have to upgrade my real estate if he produces more cream with red markings.

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He called this one "Art-Like Beauty"..... There were 7 of em at the time with these markings when I bought it.

I will have to keep an eye out.

I played around with some slurry on mine with good results. Feedback increased drastically. The feel reminded me of the Welsh Slates in how they have a silky heavy draw on slurry.

Resulting edge and scratch pattern were nice.