Thread: Chinese 12k question (s)

FYI, since you wanted honemeister opinions, Howard and Lynn made comments about the Chinese hone in another thread.

The Chinese 12K was my first real polishing stone. I still use it regularly.

I agree with the posters writing that the edges from it are quite keen. My experience is it takes 80 laps minimum to get the final finish from my example. 100 (or slightly more) is not uncommon. I use one of the old Radio Shack microscopes at 100X, and you can see when the polish is complete. It looks very similar to the sheen from stropping on canvas or linen. I don't see a distinct scratch pattern with parallel lines in one direction, but rather I see a vert fine fuzzy pattern -- like static on a television -- almost like the microscope is out of focus, but it isn't. I let mine soak along with a Norton 4K/8K when I'm honing razors. I never use slurry with mine.

I like my Chinese 12K better than my coticule. However, some of this is probably due to my lack of use/experience with the coticule (or maybe it isn't... ).