Thread: Sourcing Guangxi hones in China

Hello board!

I find myself in China until January, and I'm planning to source a couple of Guangxi hones while I'm here.

Can anyone recommend any good sources in China?

I've checked out Taobao etc and found this one

https://panduoduod.world.taobao.com/...26197828HeQDNm

prices seem reasonable, about rmb200. Wondering if anyone has any direct experience or tips. I'm ok looking at sites in Chinese.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by Montgomery

Hello board!

I find myself in China until January, and I'm planning to source a couple of Guangxi hones while I'm here.

Can anyone recommend any good sources in China?

I've checked out Taobao etc and found this one

https://panduoduod.world.taobao.com/...26197828HeQDNm

prices seem reasonable, about rmb200. Wondering if anyone has any direct experience or tips. I'm ok looking at sites in Chinese.

Thanks!

What we (myself included) tend to forget about China is, it's like Europe or US in size, and from geologic perspective China might be even richer.
I would be 100% sure that there are dozens of awesome types of stones that overshadow the Guangxi hone.
Woodworkers, butchers, people who sharpen as a trade, or even people from taverns that cook or live in any area might know/they are good places to ask.
Just keep in mind that the stone they are thinking might be a man made one, and, that basic sharpening is about coarse stones, and I don't know the word for polishing stones, the ones we want, in Chinese.
You probably know what I'm righting already, but it's something to keep in mind anyhow.
Should you find anything interesting, send me a PM, I will be interested in these "new" types of stones.

Edit;
If you are looking for the classic Guangxi hones, I would assume that there is a market in China, and you can find them in a shop directly. A cooking utensils/general goods/woodworking/any shop that hones might be available.
And, finding a stone in a shop directly is by far, far a better option as you can touch and see the stone by yourself, and check for inclusions or hardness or size, the best option really.

I spend a lot of time there and have never seen one for sale in a market or store but have never really sought one out either. Never saw any kind of sharpening shop either. I would think that your journey might start with asking a hotel chef who/how/where they get their knives sharpened.

Most folks there are pretty self-sufficient for those types of things. Also disposable knives are very cheap.

You need to know people to “discover” good quality anything. The ones on taobao are legit, if you get it from the right vendor, but 200 is wayyyy too much. I was paying around 40 for mine I think. Do you have someone that can read Chinese and can help you with the taobao site? (Do not use the English version.)

======== Pandod
if google translate is ok - [rus]:
Pandod

Pandod YC
-- it's like a classic slate, but a bit softer than welsh LM. And a bit rougher.
Nothing special.

Pandod JY
-- it's like a sandstone. Finer than hindostan (about 2500jis +\-), softer.
No inclusions, no veins.
And it's too soft actually, but it's harder on the side (perpendicular to the layers).
It's fine for 5CrMoV steel, but fjr 440A of harder - too slow.
There is a scratch size variation.

Pandod XG
Just another sandstone like previous one.
A bit rougher.
A bit harder.
Still a bit finer than hindostan.

[BZ]
1500-2000 (豹子山砥)
Big inclusions, veins - not for razor definitly.
As I could remember aoto is faster.

[JL] 800-1000 (绝路谷砥)
- finer than previous one -_-
Still not pure enought for razors, but better than previous one.

[HS] 6000 (火山岩)
just a slate, that foster than welsh LM.
Don't like it.

[SJ] Sanjiang (三江砥)
Bluestone like c12k, but rougher - about 6-7KGrit approx.

[XK] Xikou
Garbage.
Withdrawn from sale.


So it's just average stones.. And there are some troubles with inclusions and veins, etc.
Should buy a jnat instead



======== Keywords

I couldn't find any system in cnat names

Just can share some keywords:
磨刀石 = whetstone
天然磨刀石 = natural whetstone
水磨石 = water whetstone ( Shuǐmó​shà )
青石 = bluestone (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluestone )
天然油石 = natural oil stone
油石 ( yóu​shà ) - oil stone (could be used as synonym of 磨刀石 )
浆石 ( jiāngshà ) = slurry stone
高档天然磨刀石 ( gāodÃngtiānránmó​dāo​shà ) = high quality natural sharpening stone
镜面抛光 - mirror polished
细磨刀砖 - fine sharpening\polishing stone
广西 (Guǎngxī ) - Guanxi
剃刀石 - razor sharpening stone

You should'n trust words about gritness or that "this stone is a razor sharpening one"..
Sometimes it's not even natural as description says. Or vice versa.
Be carefull.



====== Stores

1. Dazu mountain
   https://13883335519.taobao.com
   search
   Bluestones, yellowstones, synt., sandstones.
   
   
2. Green drops stone
   滴水青磨刀石
   https://shop125601052.taobao.com/
   search
   Sandstones, Bluestone green drops, yellow slate 5000 grit, synt.
   
   
3. Green drops sharpening pro store
   水滴青专业磨刀铺
   https://135183.taobao.com/
   Seller: callmebush
   search
   Bluestones, Bluestone gree drops 1200, bluestone green drops 3000, sandstones
   
   
4. https://shop34934912.world.taobao.com/
   "callmebush" again
   bluetone green drops \ black\ etc..
   
   
   
5. Linyi city Raymond grinding tool business
   search
   Bluestones, synt
   
   
6. 桃花 江 磨刀石 / Peach blossom River Whetstone/Taohuajiang sharpening
   Seller: 西施旗袍唐装 / Xi Shi cheongsam Tang
   search
   Stones from Hunan.
   Yellow stones, hunan green
   
   
7. 舞凤山砚石社 / Wufengshan Stone Society / Dancing phoenix mountain
   
   search
   
   
8. 冠宇磨料磨具 / guanyumoju
   
   search

===== sungari stone
鬆花石 or 松花
[rus] Sungari
It's not for razors.
where to find

oh. Forgot to say about Guanxi:

Guanxi selected (C12K)

木井方 - mujingfang (can't translate well.. "wood Well square"??)
天然水磨石
or

• 天然 - natural
• 水磨石 - water sharpening stone

https://detail.1688.com/offer/561429843691.html
新款木井方家用磨刀石菜刀油石天然石开刃木工精磨金刚水磨石双面
There is no mention about "Guanxi" or "bluestone" - so sad.

So you should search for brand name "mujingfang"

1688.com search
taobao search

Mujingfang site: http://www.mujingfang.com/
stone: Woodwell Tools Manufacturing Ltd.

Actually there are some unlabelled c12k on taobao but i don't know how to understand is it c12k or just a rouger\softer blask\grey slate (like "TianRanMoDaoShi 2000 grit"). So "mujingfang" - is the easiest way to find c12k.

Originally Posted by Botanic

木井方 - mujingfang

Botanic: many thanks! All the information you posted is very useful.

Thanks also to the others who have commented. As a general point about going to cookshops/woodworking tool suppliers etc, or getting to know chefs/woodworkers: as most people with decent experience in China know, people with significant expertise and finesse in these kinds of fields are very difficult to find, even if they are there. And even if you find them, don't expect them to give up information for no reason. I would use this approach in a western country, but in China I'm not even going to try. I'm here for five months this time, which is nowhere near long enough for that kind of project.

I'm not going to underestimate Taobao, my guess is that there are a lot of decent stones in China where the suppliers find it difficult to get to a market that understands what they have, and selling on taobao is a good way for these guys to try to sell what they have.

I will investigate and post reports!

Originally Posted by ffourteen

You need to know people to “discover” good quality anything. The ones on taobao are legit, if you get it from the right vendor, but 200 is wayyyy too much. I was paying around 40 for mine I think. Do you have someone that can read Chinese and can help you with the taobao site? (Do not use the English version.)

Thanks for the response!

What stones did you buy for 40 yuan? Also very curious to know where you bought them.

Luckily my Chinese is sufficient to navigate Taobao in Chinese.

I will investigate and post reports!

It would be nice

kinda I disappointed with my current results..


===== Stone types
As i can understand, the most expensive cnat is Pandod mark + "Agate".
so there are:

1. Pandod mark
2. "Agate 10000 grit"
   weir stuff, don't want to try
   grey-black "natural flowers", "beril"\green, red, etc
   Keith V. Johnson
   Chinese Beryl Hone - Natural ??? 10k ???
   

   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5q1DymKUvU

   
   [rus] grey-black "natural flowers"
   

   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcKnIiwyIGE

   
   
3. white "Onyx", "Syntetic Onyx 10000grit", etc
   non abrasive stuff for me
4. Sungari
   beautiful looking stones
   but it's about knife not razor - inclusions
5. GreeDrops
   from callmebush
   "#3000"
   "bluestone dark #1200"
   but you can find keywords "green drops" in the description of a completely different stone.
   You can easily determine this stone by its appearance.
   It's ok for knife with hardness below to 55HRC.
   But it's not about razor - inclusions.
6. Bluestones with different gritness (1,2,3,5 KGrit)
   I think they are all the same. May be a bit different by hardness and dense - but that's all.
   "TianRanMoDaoShi" mark ([rus] review)
   is nice. Both samples I've used (from 2013 and 2018) is the same by qualities.
   It's a bit softer than PHIG\C12K - about purple welsh hardness.
   Grit about 6-7K or lower i suppose.
   "Rehoo bluestone 5000" - is about the same, but a bit more hard and dense.
   I belive there is also c12k could be found.
7. Yellow stone\slate
   very soft stones.
   But looks like not every yellow cnat is the same..
   So there are:
   very soft yellow slate, that used to be a slurry stone for C12K (problems with inclusions).
   soft yellow slate "4000-5000",
   "pulp stone 5000" (I've bought this one https://aliexpress.com/item/8000/32889564219.html it's on way)
8. Green grey slate
   different gritness
   1200, 1500, 3000...
   [rus]review
   Just a rouge normal slate. Yes with rouge surface (used chinese dia plate 240 grit) it's about 2KGrit at max.
   Not quite speedy.

So i could not find anything expensive, good, unique like arkansas, baikalit, washita, japanese stones, coticule, etc.
Best examples about purple welsh slate level.


==== Tips
Just a small tips:

1. you should search not only tao, but also 1688.com, tmall.com, etc.
2. aliexpress is quite poor.. and too disordered.
3. so, as i can understand, "pulp stone" isn't a name of type of stone,
   Green drops - the same.
   Guanxi, ... etc. There is no system at all.
   All you can use to define stone: mine, appearance, seller.
4. search for off. stores.
   Because secondhand dealers try to rebrand stones or just lost detailed information, mix with descriptions about differen ston types..
5. try to ask about province where the stone was mined - it'll help to understand it it the same stone you have or could be a different one.
6. read about sellers rating system and "how to make a good buy on taobao" (youtube, google, etc).
7. actually, google translation is enought to buy something on tao and to talk with sellers.

========
That's all i can say.
Have a good luck

I was buying the ones Botanic posted a picture of, and getting them on taobao. Though they don’t say guangxi, the mujingfang stones are the same stones that are sold in the west as the C12k or cnat or guangxi or whatever else (if I remember correctly the box is marked as from guangdong, but that was company location, not stone source). I’m not saying they’re good, just saying those are the stones

Make sure you get the water stone, not the oil stone. I wouldn’t worry too much about negative comments on performance… most (all?) people in China aren’t using these for straight razors. Just go for the ones with the most comments, since those are more likely real vendors.

Originally Posted by Montgomery

Thanks for the response!

What stones did you buy for 40 yuan? Also very curious to know where you bought them.

Luckily my Chinese is sufficient to navigate Taobao in Chinese.