Originally Posted by
RayClem
A lot of folks seem to get hung up on what to call a stone rather than one its performance. I also have come to the conclusion that any stone that does not remove any residue from the edge of my fingernail constitutes a potential finishing hone.
I have a full set of Naniwa superstones. The 10K will remove slight residue, but the 12K will not. Thus, I would call the 10K a pre-finisher and the 12K a finisher. I have one Chinese Guangxi hone that passes the fingernail test (finisher) and one that will not (pre-finisher). Other hones I have that pass the fingernail scratch test are a Greek Vermio, an Imperia La Roccia, a Dan's surgical black ark, and a rare Anchor hone made from Cumberlandite I got from Griffith Shaving. All the stones that pass the fingernail scratch test will finish a razor to my satisfaction for my tough beard and sensitive face. I also have a Tsushima "ocean blue" stone that responds similar to a 10K, but not quite to the 12K+ level.
I do not own a Thuringian, purple Welsh slate, or Zulu Grey, but from what I have read, I suspect they will pass the fingernail scratch test.
Can anyone tell me how a Coticule responds to the fingernail scratch test??