The Aoto Thread

[holli4pirating]

I haven't used one of these stones, so this is pure speculation, but since the Naniwas and Kings (and Shaptons, though I've never used one of them, either) are also JIS, and the 1K stones they make don't have that fine a scratch pattern, could it be that these stones, like other naturals, release a slurry that breaks down and starts to get finer as you use it?

I mean, the Aoto is a silica based stone, like a lot of other natural stones (Thuringian, Nakayamas, etc.), and if they are soft then the binding agent must be pretty weak as well. So the released silica will be fracturing and getting finer, won't t?

This might explain the results of a "finer" edge, as well as the hazy finish.

But again, this is pure speculation...I'm waiting till next year, and my next trip to The Big City, to get mine. (I went to Fukuoka and found a knife shop that had a big old Aoto for about $60...it had been sitting there for at least 10 years, the guy said, and so I reckon it can wait a wee bit longer...)

Quite right Jim, which is why I included both reasons.

[JimR]

Quite right Jim, which is why I included both reasons.

Yeah, sorry, I guess I didn't read carefully enough.

I'm intrigued...I've got a mid-range stone coming, and then there's this low grit, and the coti and Japanese naturals...a full natural range is in my grasp!

[holli4pirating]

Jim, depending on what your mid range stone is, the coti and Jnat finisher may be redundant. I can go straight from my BBW or Dragon's Tongue (both estimated at 6-8k range) to my Asagi without the coti in between. Then again, it doesn't take much time to make 10-25 passes on a coti, so why not, right?

[Pyment]

I am going to be growing my beard back this winter (a Py tradition for over 30 years). So I will be working on my honing. The problem is getting an adequate shave test. So I plan to send a couple razors off with fresh roasted coffee (form of payment) to be tested and feedback provided.

I haven't been able to lap my stones, but I have the following natural stones available to be tested:

sharpening 2-3000 Aoto

Medium finish stones 4-6000 BBW, Dragon's Tongue, Ohira Tomae, Coti with slurry

Polishing stones - coti, Nakayama Asaki Kiita Najishi, Nakayama Kiita Momiji, Nakayama kiita Najishi, Nakayama Kiita Karasu, Arkansas Translucent butterscotch, Olivia's Frankonian, and some Barber hones.

I plan to post pix of the stones and some micrographs of the edges as they go through progression and have my evaluator give me comments.

It probably won't be as exciting as the stropping experiment, but I will enjoy it.

[sparq]

talk to seller he may take it back?

The seller keeps telling me that I have no idea how natural hones work and I am seeing "deep scratches caused by this coarse stone". Deep scratch my ar*e...

[holli4pirating]

I've been playing with my Aoto a bit more, so I have more to report. I've just taken 9 razors from my Norton 1k to the Aoto. Using a new method I've recently learned, I did 40 circles with a firm stroke per side, followed by 10 firm X stokes. I didn't use any slurry, and I kept adding water as it was pushed off/absorbed into the stone. The razors wer from various Sheffield and German makers.

All of the bevels are much, much more polished than before I started, and they are all cutting arm hair much easier; feels something like around a 4k range to my untrained senses. The hone only wore a little unevenly; I could barely feel it from the feedback. I've not checked for dishing, but I'd guess there must be a bit because a very light slurry did form. I think in the future, I'll do a quick refresh after every 4 or 5 blades, juts to keep things in tip top shape.

And now we come to what I really like about this hone - the feedback is awesome. You can really feel the edge start to bite into the hone as she becomes keen. It is very noticable and a great sign that you're ready to stop your circles and give a few X passes to even things up.

I'm really liking my Aoto; now I just need to figure out what to go to next. Tonight, I'm going to play with a synthetic nagura on my Dragon's Tongue followed by (maybe the coti and then) my Asagi.

[joke1176]

... And now we come to what I really like about this hone - the feedback is awesome. You can really feel the edge start to bite into the hone as she becomes keen. It is very noticable and a great sign that you're ready to stop your circles and give a few X passes to even things up.

I'm really liking my Aoto; now I just need to figure out what to go to next...

I'm glad it's working out for ya, they really do have a nice feel to them.

[manah]

I´m also using the Aoto now since one year. I bought mine here:
Japanese Natural Waterstone Aoto | DICK GmbH - Fine Tools

Gábor, I bought my Aoto also there.

[hi_bud_gl]

The seller keeps telling me that I have no idea how natural hones work and I am seeing "deep scratches caused by this coarse stone". Deep scratch my ar*e...

Interesting seller
Tell him you are not asking how natural stones work or not . You are saying this particular stone defective. cuts similar like 500 grit (deep scratches) which is not suppose to be do so.

In case if he says it cut's in early precess similar like 500 grit then inclusions brakes down and ends up around 2-4 k level tell him please take this stone back and send me one of those which is he talking about it.
GL

[adrspach]

I've been playing with my Aoto a bit more, so I have more to report. I've just taken 9 razors from my Norton 1k to the Aoto. Using a new method I've recently learned, I did 40 circles with a firm stroke per side, followed by 10 firm X stokes. I didn't use any slurry, and I kept adding water as it was pushed off/absorbed into the stone. The razors wer from various Sheffield and German makers.

All of the bevels are much, much more polished than before I started, and they are all cutting arm hair much easier; feels something like around a 4k range to my untrained senses. The hone only wore a little unevenly; I could barely feel it from the feedback. I've not checked for dishing, but I'd guess there must be a bit because a very light slurry did form. I think in the future, I'll do a quick refresh after every 4 or 5 blades, juts to keep things in tip top shape.

And now we come to what I really like about this hone - the feedback is awesome. You can really feel the edge start to bite into the hone as she becomes keen. It is very noticable and a great sign that you're ready to stop your circles and give a few X passes to even things up.

I'm really liking my Aoto; now I just need to figure out what to go to next. Tonight, I'm going to play with a synthetic nagura on my Dragon's Tongue followed by (maybe the coti and then) my Asagi.

I am keen to read more about this method, Can you post some links for it? Thanks