Thread: Choseras can crack

Cracks will appear on any stone if let to soak and then left to dry in a place where water reaches the almost freezing point or lower. Funny enough I wanted to see this happen so I soaked a chocera for a month and up to now nothing bad has happened to it. The stone is a 2k and it was pulled from the water after a month, dried by putting in box where all my other stones are and so far so good.

I suggest if you live in a place where it is cold just to play it safe you keep your stones in a 70/70 ambient, works for cigars should work for stones.

Originally Posted by Disburden

On another note Glen soaks his Naniwa SS in a sink of water in his new honing videos and said it helps the stone settle in so it works better...

I haven't tried this yet but maybe Glen can Chime in about how it's said that the SS will turn gloppy if soaked....

Noooooo............Don't soak the Naniwa SS stones. They do work better if you spray a layer of water on them and let it sit for 5 minutes or so continuing to spray as the water dries in. Once the 5 minutes are so is passed, you are good to go and the results should be better.

I have a feeling that if you just soak it for 5-10 minutes, you should be OK, but don't want to take any chances. The manufacturer advises against soaking it.

On the Chosera, I have about 2500 razors done on mine so far and no signs of cracking yet. I do the same as above with it as well.

Have fun,

Lynn

Originally Posted by ZethLent

Are you sure they are 'cracks'?

My Chosera #5000 I have had the longest and has a patterning all over the surface. I have always thought this to be water stains and never given it a second thought. Did your finger nail get caught when feeling for it? I have soaked my hones in the past but never for more than 40 minutes, as it states (in Japanese) on the side of the hone, but recently have just misted the tops until nothing more sinks in. This was because my whole set (with stands) won't fit in the honing tub I used to use.

The misting has worked fine for the last month or so. So I don't think I will be soaking them any more. Just the misting.


FYI: I have the #1000, #2000, #3000, and #5000 Chosera. My #10000 is a Gokumyo from Suehiro.

I have a full set of these as well and this is exactly what I do with both the Chosera and the Super Stones.

Thanks,

Lynn

Originally Posted by Lynn

Noooooo............Don't soak the Naniwa SS stones. They do work better if you spray a layer of water on them and let it sit for 5 minutes or so continuing to spray as the water dries in. Once the 5 minutes are so is passed, you are good to go and the results should be better.

I have a feeling that if you just soak it for 5-10 minutes, you should be OK, but don't want to take any chances. The manufacturer advises against soaking it.

On the Chosera, I have about 2500 razors done on mine so far and no signs of cracking yet. I do the same as above with it as well.

Have fun,

Lynn

Thanks for the advice, Lynn. The reason I even thought about it is because in Glen's video he has the Super Stones in a sink of water for several minutes while honing on the grit before. I was thinking since this isn't 20 minute Norton soaking it wasn't a big deal.
I am definitely going to try your spray method instead.

Thanks!

I always did the spray and walk away for 5 minutes. Works well for me.

Although when Holli pointed out what appeared as cracks on my hone I am believing them to be stains when the water dries. They penetrate the surface a little which is why I wasn't able to lap them out. As I have used these hones and lapped then the 'stains' disappeared. If I don't allow the water to pool after rinsing them I don't get any of these marks on the hone. In any event I have not seen this effect the results. I don't soak the hones but do put a thin layer of water on them, a little more than a spray would create.

I'm pretty positive mine are cracks, but I'll get some photos for you guys when I have a chance. Part of why I am sure they are cracks is that those areas retain the darker "wet" color longer than the rest of the hone. This would make sense for a crack, as more water would enter the hone there, and then it would take longer to come out.

Please do note, I never had this problem until recently; I'd used the Chosera for a month or so with no preblems till the last week or so.

Just ordered the 1k, 3k, 5k, 10k Choseras, and after reading this thread (and the threads linked from here), I'm now paranoid about them cracking.

So does the general consensus seem to be that it's better to just use them by wetting the honing surface down a bit til it doesn't "drink" anymore, then hone as usual? So you still need to dry them slowly if they're not soaked?

What about for the initial lapping? Just lap it under running water? Wondering how the flatness of a dry stone might vary to one that's completely soaked, or how it might vary if the first mm or so of the surface is wet, with the majority of the thickness dry...

They will be arriving in 71.426 hours... not that I'm anxious or anything....

My only guess at why mine cracked is they dried too fast. I never soaked it. Now I'm wrapping it in papertowels and a dish towel after usage to try to dry it slowly.

Initial lapping yes, under running water like any other hone. I have found they do not change shape like the SS's do; these are harder and seem much more stable. Totally different binder, as I understand it.

holli you are also in Rochester NY? yeah it gets cold up here. I have Chosera 400 1k and 500. They were all fine, had one small crack on the side of my 1k, but the last time I used my 5k BOOM! entire surface covered in thin cracks. Looks like a path made of stones or something. HORRIBLE. I saw on a youtube video that your supposed to put the stones on their sides while they dry, I do this but still just the 5k cracks. I think its a luck of the draw situation more than anything else.
My 1k has cracked no more than one tiny one, and the 400 is perfect. I find my 5k stone NEEDS to soak for at least 2 minutes, or else it loads up under use and does not hold water on the surface. They absolutely benefit from an extremely short soak in my experience.

I will never buy another chosera stone, they just need too much attention and babying, might as well use Jnats.

Its a major bummer ant it? My 150 dollar stone is looking very iffy now days. Good to hear some more Rochesterians! Enjoy man.