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Does anyone have a reliable method for estimating the grit rating of an unknown stone, preferably that does not involve magnification?
I can do the basics like can I put an edge on a dull razor or take one off a shave ready edge. Sorry if this has already been covered, any links would be appreciated.
Joe
Experience
Well there are different concepts. If visual is off the table the next best is feel. Touch it lightly with the most sensitive part of your body, the tip of your tongue. If you use know grits as a reference it will give you a general ball park guess. You can also take a shave ready edge and do a series of strokes on the hone. Test shave it. Does it feel like a 1K or ???. All you are really doing is making and educated guess. Generally the better the knowledge base the more likely the guess is accurate. Sometimes you can just use what you have.
i usually put a razor to it at different points of the process and try to find the slot it fits in with the known stones i have. set the bevel with a 1k, then go to the mystery stone. does it improve the edge? if so reset the bevel and go to the 4k and then the mystery stone. when testing the edge you can use the thumb pad test or hanging hair test.
there are also other ways like checking the scratch pattern on steel, or feeling the stone with you fingers or tongue. of course after cleaning the stone.
here are also a link
http://straightrazorpalace.com/hones...own-stone.html
Next time I have someone over for sharpening a razor I'll lick one of my honed look them straight in the eyes and tell them that's how you're supposed to check your hone. :rofl2:Quote:
Originally Posted by RezDog
I like this, thank you. I have quite a good rock collection so very doable. I'm not averse to using the visual methods, its just I'm not convinced it would tell the whole story by itself. My jnat creates a very hazy looking bevel but yields a very keen and smooth edge. I think my mystery hone may be a washita and would hazard a guess its comparable to a 3K-5K.Quote:
Originally Posted by StoneSeeker
that would be a good guess if its a hard stone. you will know when your lapping one, it takes awhile. mine is kind of brown, tan
Yes its a Washita Type stone, estimated grit up to 5-6k, works quite fast....this is how my stones look:
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7582/...24e648_c_d.jpg
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7467/...996008_c_d.jpg
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7690/...574059_c_d.jpg
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7612/...0df925_c_d.jpg
Washita stone, nice and fast, but the one I got isn't a finisher although it has some TranslucencyAttachment 204390
Attachment 204391
Attachment 204392
Agree with Sebastian on the grit level although my stone is closer to 5k
Someone told my that this type of Washita stone called Turkey skin, but haven't found much in the internet in this regard.
They were referred to by some people over here as "turkey stones". I've seen antiques dealers (who are knowledgeable, but not necessarily specializing in stones) call them turkey stones many times. That creates confusion with the mediterranean black novaculite stones that are friable and finer, and mentioned in holtzapffel's volumes as being favored for their friability.Quote:
Originally Posted by AljuwaiedAK
Figure if you hear an english speaking person say something is a "turkey stone", you'll probably see and washita pop out.
You can finish a razor with them, but not the same way you would an escher, and I'd consider them a spare tire type razor finisher. You can use them if you need to, but conditions apply (most notably, you can't just hone an edge off of a razor).
Hello Dave,Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveW
Yes, sometimes people like me whom aren't native speakers get confused a little bit over local names, especially if you tried to convince an old time seller that it ain't a Turkey stone :)
About finishing a razor on this particular Washita stone (my stone) if you mean by finishing a razor that it will cut hier ? yes, it will. Is it going to be a geart shave? No. Good shave? Maybe.... the edge it leaves similar to a normal bbw (the black stuff).
However, I got another Washita stone that You can finish razors on it every day a week, very hard very fine and compared to Arkies very Fast. Although it is porous It's still shiny and reflective.
Attachment 204679
Attachment 204678
Note the difference between the two stones while they both received the same treatment.
This is one of the best Arkansas stones that I have seen in my life, lapping it was hard work, the turkey one was not that difficult.
Yep, there are some fine ones. The coarsest seem to be the old labeled ones (which would've gotten good money from carpenters). The finer ones seem to have been viewed as less favorable, but they do pop up in razor or carvers boxes from time to time.Quote:
Originally Posted by AljuwaiedAK
I've got one that's a little more brownish, mostly smooth but with a few interruptions and it can almost finish a razor as nicely as a true hard ark. The last person who used it (however many decades ago) had carefully allowed the surface to load until it was almost perfectly slick. I cleaned it off, but it is still a very fine washita after that.
They are my favorite type of natural stones (washitas and arkansas), maybe only to be tied by Okudo suita, but they have more range than okudo suita does and they are much cheaper.
100% agree.Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveW
I knew that you will like this I shall call this stone "Dave teaser" from now on :).
Super stone can take any blade not only razors to shave ready sharpness in no time.
The perfect one stone.
Take care,
