Thread: Escher vs Jnat for finishing

I realize it is a matter of preference, blade metal, stone and technique to name some variables but I interested in hearing from those who have used both what and why they prefer one over another. I own both. Let's keep the discussion on just the two types of stones.

Back around '07, '08, the only ]-nat I would see talked about on SRP was the nakayama asagi. A year or two later there were a whole lot more, but at that time that was the one most well known. I had been fooling with eschers and needless to say I liked the results I was getting. I didn't go into the j-nat field because it seemed too obscure to me at that time.

A friend bought a nakayama asagi at what was about half the price of an escher at that time. Because of changing circumstances in the family business he had to devote all of his time to the biz, and could no longer pursue honing as he once had. So he offered me the stone for what he paid for it. I knew that the source he got it from was to be trusted so I went for it out of curiosity.

I found it to be as good as, maybe even better than the eschers I had at that time. I sold it to a guy in Austria who loved it. The thing was, I was really into the eschers, and I didn't want to get into that slippery slope of another genre of stones, even if it was as good or better. FWIW, that is the only experience I've had with the j-nat as opposed to an escher.

I much prefer jnats. I feel they provide both a keener and smoother edge. Not to say the escher edges aren't really good, just not as good. I've got them all, asagi, mizu asagi, kiita, suita, iromono etc and I love them all.

Seems a recap of another thread?

In regards to Jimmy's post.
About the same here. Pretty much exactly.


You have to run with the J-Nat thing.

It's a natural thing, don't you know!

https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/s...006f9fa1f361d3

Jnat, hands down. An Escher is pretty much a finisher, but a good Jnat will handle all your honing needs (except restoration/heavy bevel setting) plus give you a superior edge in my experience. Add a 1k for bevel setting and you're set for life.

Same for me. I find both stones give me great edges, but they need to be used completely differently. Thuringians (Eschers) need to be used for final finishing only, as they don't really have any ability to remove much steel. So I hone on synthetics up to at least 8k and usually more like 12k before using one of my Escher stones.

JNats can do a little more heavy lifting if they are used with a "diamond nagura" slurry, and one can even follow a 1k bevel setter with it. I still prefer final finishing on a JNat using tomonagura slurry though. I often do a progression of 1k to 1-2 "diamond nagura" slurries to 2-3 consecutive tomo slurries. If you want to use just the tomo slurry alone it's better to take the edge up to at least 8k synthetic first.

I love everything about jnats.

Once I had a pro honed Escher finish from Hart Steel.
It was butter knife smooth . I was impressed although it's didn't last as long as I would have thought.
I can achieve that and better on my jnat.

Escher stones are a bit slim too. Saying that I wouldn't mind one

Originally Posted by eKretz

JNats can do a little more heavy lifting if they are used with a "diamond nagura" slurry, and one can even follow a 1k bevel setter with it. I still prefer final finishing on a JNat using tomonagura slurry though. I often do a progression of 1k to 1-2 "diamond nagura" slurries to 2-3 consecutive tomo slurries. If you want to use just the tomo slurry alone it's better to take the edge up to at least 8k synthetic first.

You're barely scratching the surface of what your Jnat can do if you're only using diamond and Tomo Nagura. A set of Asano Mikawa nagura (Botan, Tenjyou, Mejiro) offers a much greater range of grit/cutting ability. I go straight from a 1k King to Botan Nagura, and work that to remove the 1k striations. If the steel is particularly tough I'll then do a dilution or two with Tenjyou Nagura, otherwise I'll go straight to Mejiro Nagura for the final sharpening - usually 2 or 3 dilutions. After that, I will work Tomo Nagura, refreshing it just as it starts to change color until I'm satisfied with the sharpness; then a final dilution that I work all the way until it's completely broken down. I'll usually test shave before doing any work with just plain water; usually it isn't necessary, but if needed, I usually do less than 20 laps or it starts to get harsh. If 20 laps on plain water won't bring it up, the solution is another full dilution with Tomo Nagura.

Originally Posted by jkatzman

I realize it is a matter of preference, blade metal, stone and technique to name some variables but I interested in hearing from those who have used both what and why they prefer one over another. I own both. Let's keep the discussion on just the two types of stones.

You answered it yourself..


This and the various links inside there will be an interesting read on only ONE of the blind tests I have done

http://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...ving-test.html

Couple of threads if you follow all the links

Originally Posted by jkatzman

I realize it is a matter of preference, blade metal, stone and technique to name some variables but I interested in hearing from those who have used both what and why they prefer one over another. I own both. Let's keep the discussion on just the two types of stones.

Jnats are cheaper than yellow green Eschers