Thread: Chinese Natural- Great New Discovery

Don't think anyone's yet mentioned the box they sometimes come in, so here's a shot with the box:




and a dry closeup:
[huge version]




and a wet closeup:
[huge version]




The little veins are definitely brown/red in color, although I can see how they'd appear black at a glance.

I've messed around a little with slurry on mine, but I get the best use out of it with just water, lots of strokes, and zero pressure. I should also mention that I lap it up to 2000 grit wet/dry, since I found that to make a difference.

I've had ones with and without the stripes. The color is hard to pin down, but something like a black/brown/redish sort of thing.

If the one's you are getting in HK are fast cutters, I don't think they could possibly be the same stones, though. Well, I suppose "fast" and "slow" are highly subjective, and one would have to test the hones head to head to be sure.

You know we're indirectly raising their price...every time some one posts about them they go up in value...Eschers used to be 20 odd dollars

Looks just like my older CH12K. A slight blue tint to the grey and reddish-brown squigglies. The saw cuts on the end are also very similar. My CH12K with a slurry is a pretty fast cutter too.

Originally Posted by leadingedge

The C-nat stones I have found here in Hong Kong still seem a bit different to the ones you guys describe. They look similar to the photos above, but the lines are not black, like most guys describe...mine are a dark brown/tan colour.

I called the little wavy lines "black" on my C12K, but they're really a dark rust/brown. (As seen in the photos I posted.)

They are also fairly fast cutting stones, IMO, especially with slurry that I make with my DMT8C by rubbing it on the hone.

My C12K is a fast-cutting stone too.


Me

Well, who knows....maybe the C-Nat I have found here in Hong Kong is just the high-end quality version of the PHIG....or maybe something else.

Of what you guys are writing, some of you have the best quality C12K's that end up being great cutters with slurry and awesome polishers, similar to what these hones are giving me. Other C12K's seem to be very good, but very slow cutters, even with slurry.

The ones I have here really does seem to compare to Eschers, or even better as an all-round stone that cuts and polishes like the best ones out there....or maybe I'm just crazy thinking that a stone bought for 10% of the price of an Escher can out-perform, or at least equal it!

I don't have an Escher....yet....HAD...but this hone certainly seems to go well beyond the Coticule, IMO.

The performance of my CH12K hone has kept me from wanting or feeling the need for an Escher. It is great for touch ups. Finishes well. Nice followup for a few strokes after the Shapton 16K. I just wish that it weren't so doggone heavy.

I"ve probably handled more "Chinese 12k's" than anyone, except the people who mine them... There are variences from stone to stone...Since we're talking Hong Kong here, I wouldn't rule out that they may in fact be a close cousin to the aformentioned C12k..

Originally Posted by kelbro

I just wish that it weren't so doggone heavy.

Take them to a masonry/tile cutter and have em ripped in two on a wet saw.. maybe cut yourself a couple slurry stones while you're at it.
It should only cost you a few dollars, less then the hone cost, and then you'll have two

Originally Posted by ezpz

Take them to a masonry/tile cutter and have em ripped in two on a wet saw.. maybe cut yourself a couple slurry stones while you're at it.
It should only cost you a few dollars, less then the hone cost, and then you'll have two

Good idea, as soon as I can get hold of more of these babies I might just do that for slurry stones.

For now, I am just using my DMT8C to stirr up a quick slurry on the hone, then I wipe the DMT across and over the side of the hone to "scrape" all the slurry onto the hone. Works great so far, and I am guaranteed of no cross-contamination of any different slurry stone! It also gives the hone a quick lapping before honing, so it's 2 jobs in one that leaves you with pure slurry on the hone.

I guess the real old days of slurry stones was when diamond coated plates were not available yet, IMHO, so they had to use a piece of the same hone to make sure the slurry was pure.

It's still a lot of fun to to it the real old way with a slurry stone, but, as Jimmy pointed out to me, the credit card size DMT's are great for making a quick slurry if you don't have a slurry stone.

I don't have the credit card size DMT yet, so I'm just using my 8" to make slurry.

I also use mine to make slurry on my Vintage coticule.