Thread: Hone-stone from South Africa!

Having read Jasper's initial post I began intending to go from bevel set to shave ready. I was honing a Soviet Stiz 5/8 quarter hollow and a Fluid Steel 6/8 full hollow, made in the USA for McPherson of Glasgow, probably by Genco. When bevel setting I use the circle technique I learned from Lynn in this video here and in conversations we've had on the phone. Following the circles standard X strokes are used. I found that the stone did not cut aggressively enough to set a bevel on these two razors. They weren't damaged in terms of chips but they were butter knife dull.

I am particular about having my hones flat and checking with a pencil grid I found that after the first attempt at a bevel set the stone needed lapping. I've come to the conclusion that this stone is relatively soft. It will remain flat within reason if little pressure is used but if you're using a bit of pressure it is a good idea to draw a grid and check every so often as it dishes fairly quickly compared to a Norton or Naniwa.

So I went to a 1200 diamond plate for the fluid steel and set my initial bevel. When I got a positive TNT I switched over to a Naniwa 1k to smooth out the bevel following the diamond plate. More or less a routine I always follow when I use the plate. I went directly from the 1k to the SA stone. Whipped up a milky slurry with a credit card sized DMT and began doing x strokes.

I relied on the TPT and arm hair for a barometer and TBH I couldn't tell you how many strokes I did but it was a lot. I diluted the slurry as I went and eventually got to clean water. When I got to the point where I felt it was as 'there' as it was going to be I stropped and got some HHT with it. I shaved. The shave was smooth, close and comfortable. Took two passes and got bbs to my specs.

The Stiz Soviet razor is another story. I went through the same procedure with the Stiz as with the Fluid Steel but I didn't get as good a result. So in the morning I took the Stiz to the Naniwa 1k all over again. Followed that with a pyramid on the Norton 4 & 8. Then back to the newly flattened SA hone. I did not use a slurry this time. I figured to treat it as a finisher and it worked out well. I did 30 strokes and stropped and tried the HHT. I got fair results and took it back to the SA hone for another 20 strokes. Stropped again and this time got HHT all along the length of the blade. Shave test later will tell the tale.

Finally, the two razors above were, as previously noted, recent ebay acquisitions. I decided to give the SA stone another shot as a bevel setter with a NOS Solingen razor. Also an ebay acquisition but from a seven day set and never honed and by all appearances never used. It is a Kobar full hollow 6/8. So I followed Jasper's description from the OP in this thread and did a heavy slurry with my 325 diamond plate. I did 20 circles on each side and then 10 x strokes twice. Did a passing TNT. Some more x strokes, 10 or so and began diluting the slurry. I did a couple of sets of 20 strokes feeling the edge with my thumb pad and rinsed the hone off. Lapped it one more time .... I know I am crazy .... and started on clean water. Sets of 20 strokes took a few sets and stropped. Some of the blade passed HHT and some didn't. Went back to the hone for another few sets of 20 and stropped again. Better but not HHT all across the blade. It will, however, pop arm hair quite efficiently all across the blade so I will call it good.

Shave test of the Stiz and the Kobar will be tonight. The only way I know to give it a grit rating is by the shave and I would call it comparable to shaving off of the Norton 8k. This is in agreement with Sham's assessment of 8k. Someone else might be able to squeeze more out of it. After all, Lynn doesn't like to judge a hone until he has tried many more razors on it than Sham's 8 or my paltry 3. On the plus side the hone gives noticeable feedback and is a beautiful hunk of rock with the black color and contrasting lines. The only drawback , if it is a drawback, is that it is relatively soft. So if someone asked me I would recommend using this in a finishing/polishing progression rather than bevel setting unless they were honing a new razor with no issues.

Tonight rolled around and I shaved my usual cold water routine with the Stiiz for one side of my face and neck and the Kobar for the other. The Kobar came in first out of all three honed on the SA stone and the Stiz was a close second. The shave equaled or even surpassed what I've gotten with a razor honed to 8k and my skin is bbs and irritation free. That is with one pass on the cheeks and moustache and two on the neck and ball of the chin. So my congratulations to Jasper for finding this beauty and many thanks for turning me on to a piece of it. I've spoken to Lynn about it and I'm sending my SA stone to him tomorrow for his evaluation. I'm sure Jasper would like to hear what Lynn thinks of his lovely hone.