Thread: where to find good stone

Originally Posted by mainaman

Some folks have had lots of success digging stones from river beds and other quarry like places. They have found some stones that seem to work. They are dirt cheap as they just lay around so may be look for one.

What makes a rock a hone or what types of rock make good hones?


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Originally Posted by dustoff003

What makes a rock a hone or what types of rock make good hones?


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I do not know, but folks seem to be able to find "diamonds in the rough" all over the place.

Originally Posted by dustoff003

What makes a rock a hone or what types of rock make good hones?


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When I spoke with Takeshi-San at AFramesTokyo in Honolulu, he mentioned 4 properties a razors hone has versus other hones.

1. It has to be fine enough. If it isn't fine enough, nothing else matters.
2. It must not have coarse grit in it. Better hones synthetic or natural have a narrow range of fine grit. Cheap or bad hones marked as fine enough may have too much coarser grit in them.
3. For naturals, they must not have toxic inclusions, wires, unstable areas, etc that can damage a razor's edge.
4. He also said maybe it matters how the grit 'lays on the hone'. I take it this is a comment about the shape of the grit particles, much like coticule garnets which aren't that fine but nevertheless perform better than their actual size would suggest in use.

If you're in Hawaii, the best stop is AFrakesTokyo in Honolulu. If you just want to have some fun, I'd get some slate from the Home Depot and give that a try.

Cheers, Steve

I was taught that a good finishing hone, when properly and correctly lapped, will reflect light like a mirror when viewed at an angle of 15 degrees. So look for reflectivity as you search. Very best wishes.
Tom

Being an avid rock hound, I have found a few that perform very well. I use a brute force attack, and I look closely at many many rocks. Break a few. The outside of a rock and the inside of a rock are different. The answers you seek is on the inside. Once broken you will see the grain. It must be perfectly consistent in size. It needs to have the ability to cut in order to be a hone, otherwise is is still just a rock, not matter how you shape. I think you need to look at all the rock you encounter while out in nature. Slate and metamorphic rock tends to be the best, if we are to look at the majority of the good ones from the past and present. Volcanic rock should not be over looked however, as there have been some really good hones made from novaculite. I say try to find what you can, break it and examine it. If you think it could become a hone, cut it and shape it, lap it.

I was taught that a good finishing hone would reflect light, like a mirror, when viewed at an angle of 15 degrees. Good luck on your quest.

Tom

Originally Posted by DrDalton

A rather curious question given the OP's name.

Originally Posted by tcrideshd

That's what I thought, but after 15,000 or so razors he,ll have earned it. Tc

honemiester, you will probably get some ribbing over your username for a while. To those of us who have been around, it is quite provocative. No harm done though, so keep a thick skin about it. We are, for the most part, a friendly group. I have to agree with the posters who are saying that until you are getting very good edges off of 8k and 12k stones, looking for higher grits is at best a waste of time.

Originally Posted by RezDog

Being an avid rock hound, I have found a few that perform very well. I use a brute force attack, and I look closely at many many rocks. Break a few. The outside of a rock and the inside of a rock are different. The answers you seek is on the inside. Once broken you will see the grain. It must be perfectly consistent in size. It needs to have the ability to cut in order to be a hone, otherwise is is still just a rock, not matter how you shape. I think you need to look at all the rock you encounter while out in nature. Slate and metamorphic rock tends to be the best, if we are to look at the majority of the good ones from the past and present. Volcanic rock should not be over looked however, as there have been some really good hones made from novaculite. I say try to find what you can, break it and examine it. If you think it could become a hone, cut it and shape it, lap it.

Yes and sometimes rub two stones together. If they match the above AND makes slurry it's a very good sign.


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For a little over a year I have been using a King 1K-7K, aWei-Wei 3K-8Kcombo,a Wei-Wei 10K & a small Coticule. And got to were I was getting really great edges with those. I researched a bunch & decided I liked the Shapton hones best. Depending on my $$ situation I was going to get either the 15K or 16K Shapton glass hone. Family came thru for my birthday & I got the 16K glass hone. It had a pretty big hump in the center of the hone & has taken a while to get really flat. This morning I worked on flattening with the new machienest flat edge & as best I can see this sucker is now as flat as I can get it. I have a real nice Simmons Hardware #8 Special that I had honed up to 8K & was able to get a good shave with. I used the 16K hone for 12 very light rounds & that razor shaves better that my favorite W&B 1850's hollow ground after a stropping on my Jager Barber supply shell horsehide strop. Now not all people like man made hones & I will tell you I like both types. When I have the money I would like to get some natural finishers besides my Coti. The Jnat's look really nice. I want to spend a year or so learning the hones I have now before heading down the rabbit hole again.

Slawman

After 8k I go Nani 12k then a natural, in my case Escher. A coti is equally a good road, and many do both - coti then Escher or the other way around.

But as mentioned - firmly understanding and executing to the 8k level is the fundamental foundation of basic skills that are required.

Walk before run :-)