Thread: Experimenting with my Thuringian

Eric isn't lying that slate is AWESOME. So nice in fact I was willing to trade a piece of Asano Koma nagura for a slab.(Hope you are enjoying it).


possible thuri - Album on Imgur
I got a new 8x2 dark blue stone in which I thought was a silkstone at first but now I'm thinking possible thuri. It is too thin for a silkstone. It is soft(lapped super easy but no auto slurry so far) and fine with a velvety feel. The slurry dries white also. It produces a great edge so even if it's not a thuri it's still a keeper.

Thank you!

I do enjoy the results I get from this stone, however one thing that always tugs at me are the differences between this stone and my nani12k. I prefer to use the natural stone because I prefer the low maintenance to soaking and lapping the nani. While I like the idea of a mellowed edge off of a natural stone I can't tell if it is this that I am observing or a degradation in the edge.

On another note, I remember hearing that the cuticles produced by ardennes are backed with slate. I have one of their slurry stones, I wonder if this would work as a slurry stone, or if this would end up being coarse.

And since I've mentioned them hopefully everyone has heard about the break in they just had recently. They have asked if folks can be on the lookout for questionable deals on coti's going around as they were just robbed.

Originally Posted by SailorJ

Thank you!

. I prefer to use the natural stone because I prefer the low maintenance to soaking and lapping the nani..

I never have needed to soak my Nani12k. I just wet it and go. I've never noticed a difference in its abilities as a finisher whether I had soaked it or not. If you're like me, you probably prefer the natural stone at least in some respects because it's more of a challenge than the 12k. Great info on this thread guys!

Originally Posted by SailorJ

Here are some pictures of the hone, now that I look at it, the stone seems pretty dark.


Attachment 194232Attachment 194233

The late thuringian hones mined by the company J.G. Escher& Son had a very dark blue to more blackish color. They came from another mine several miles away from the old quarris and the stones are from a different geological age.

Here is a photo that I already published elsewhere. I took the photo on a black background to show the differences, so all stones look more bluish-grey than black compared to your shot.
The two stones on the left are the typical blue (ligth and dark blue) thuringians mined in the old quarries. The stones in the middle were mined by JGES in the 1930ths, the mottled Eschers (last stone on the rigth) after 1937.



Your stone don't need to be a necessarily a thuringian though. Could be any other slate.
Anyway I will perpare two small slurry stones over the weekend, one dark blue from the original quarries and one from the later blackish stones for you to try.

Originally Posted by ColdbyDesign

I never have needed to soak my Nani12k. I just wet it and go. I've never noticed a difference in its abilities as a finisher whether I had soaked it or not. If you're like me, you probably prefer the natural stone at least in some respects because it's more of a challenge than the 12k. Great info on this thread guys!

For me I like naturals because they are more of a gamble and more of a challenge. There is just something in me that likes knowing I took a rock (plain simple rock yet a very special rock) and was able to obtain an edge of remarkable keenness able to smoothly shave a face to the point of BBS!!! A skill that has been diminishing with synthetics and sharpening systems (knives). A skill that is not easily learned and with a rock that NOONE else has which is exactly the same. I think that is the draw to a natural stone for me.

Update:

Just recently honed up two of my razors, both started on the chosera 1k, moved up to heavy slurry/dilucot method with the coti and here is where I branched off. I finished one on the nani 12k and the other on the thuri/slate with a slurry produced by my dmt plate. After a trip to the strop I lathered up and went to work giving each 1/2 of the shave. Both gave flawless shaves, however I did notice that on the ATG pass, the thuri razor did seem a little more comfortable on the skin.

It may have been differences in the razor, or my technique shaving. But it would go to support whats already been said about the edges produced my natural stones.

I definitely get more comfortable edges from the better natural stones. I have a few that I consider the best. A very nice and fast vintage coticule, the outstanding slate I found locally that I call Kuro slate, a Nakayama Maruka Kiita, a black translucent Ark, a Celebrated Water Hone Thuringian, and a Vosgienne slate. The first three are pretty much tied for my favorite.