Thread: Natural Bevel Setter

Magog and Hindostan come to mind, but I have no idea how fast either are as I do not have them nor have I used them but I bet you could find a ton in a search.

There are plenty of choices on natural bevel setters, but do keep in mind that nature's abrasive choice for stones is SiO2 and its family, and it's quite softer and a lot slower than the man made abrasive choices like SiC and AlOx. SiO2 minerals have limited steel cutting ability, the concentration of cutting particles might not be ideal, their size may vary etc etc.
That being said, wastilla stone, Pyrenees stone, two Spanish sandstones I know that are being sold, two Italian types of stones, a few German stones, some Japanese, some British a few stones here in Greece too... there are actually many choices, but most are not commercially available for the simple reason that they are slow, and cost more than the man made equivalent. It just isn't worth the trouble.

Originally Posted by Vasilis

There are plenty of choices on natural bevel setters, but do keep in mind that nature's abrasive choice for stones is SiO2 and its family, and it's quite softer and a lot slower than the man made abrasive choices like SiC and AlOx. SiO2 minerals have limited steel cutting ability, the concentration of cutting particles might not be ideal, their size may vary etc etc.
That being said, wastilla stone, Pyrenees stone, two Spanish sandstones I know that are being sold, two Italian types of stones, a few German stones, some Japanese, some British a few stones here in Greece too... there are actually many choices, but most are not commercially available for the simple reason that they are slow, and cost more than the man made equivalent. It just isn't worth the trouble.

That pretty much sums it up. It's possible, but why bother?

Coticules and JNats can set bevels easily if no corrective honing is needed, but they are typically used with slurry to speed cutting, and speed is a desirable attribute when setting a bevel. Synthetics for the most part slurry less and some practically do not slurry at all at bevel setting grits. I believe this is a desirable attribute when setting a bevel; to get very flat bevels and a 'straight' edge, even if that edge has some burr or fin. Slurry and alternating x-strokes later on will take that fin off easily but having perfectly flat bevels IMO is a desirable starting point even if you have some fin, wire, burr, 'microchipping' (which I believe is just a partial collapse of a fin).

Cheers, Steve

Originally Posted by Utopian

Please realize that every opinion about natural hones is dependent on a very small sample size--the ones that we have used. It may not apply to every single rock of a particular type.

That said...

The red Amakusa will chew up your edges. It is not of use for razors because of the variability of the grit in the hone.
The white Amakusa is much less aggressive but still can damage edges while failing to form a proper bevel.

That is exactly what happened when I tried a red Amakusa. I was going to use it for target practice but my neighbor said he could use it to sharpen tools so I gave it to him. The Red Amakusa is no good for razors!

Soft Arkansas stones regularly work for me. Refresh the surface with a diamond plate before use.

The knowledge here astounds me every time I ask a question. Thanks for your advice everyone

I have "had" the red and white amakusa. Great for knifes, not for razors.

Best bevel setter to date that I have found, I have had quite a few stones pass through my hands, is a chosera 1K. Yes, it's synthetic, but it works so stinking well. I use it in my synthetic progression (shapton gs 2,4,8,16,escher) as well as my natural progressions.

Originally Posted by RezDog

Magog and Hindostan come to mind, but I have no idea how fast either are as I do not have them nor have I used them but I bet you could find a ton in a search.

I have some Hindustan's and they, like most Naturals are individuals with grit approximation going from ~3k cutting action to ~8K cutting action. Better with honing oil but slow with water or oil. Other similar hones from the farm world are too uneven to trust a razor to.
YMMV
~Richard

My hindostan is about 3-4K, hardly ever use it any more. Mine has the odd larger grain here and there, so I only use it with knives.

I have been using a Washita stone exclusively now for a couple of months. I don't own a synthetic anymore. I have set bevels on eBay razors and razors I have restored without issue. Not very long at all to set a bevel. From 20-30 minutes on "dull as buter knife" eBay razors. My last one the bevel was almost there and it took about 5-10 minutes tops. I have also used a fresh soft ark with a fresh surface. A bit slower but no slower than my old 1k King. With the Washita I raise a slurry and within a few strokes it is already turning grey. I have also used a labeled lily white with success but my unlabeled Washita takes the cake. It's all I use now and don't see a need to go back to a 1k synthetic.