Thread: Choseras can crack

I read this and immediate got up and checked mine for cracks! So far, so good. The Japanese hones were lacquered on the sides to protect the layers from delaminating, because water between the layers would lead to uneven drying. I'm not sure of a benefit to lacquering a homogenous hone.

I'm also not sure of a benefit to lapping away the cracks. As long as they aren't catching the edge, they should have no effect.

I store my greaseless compounds in a large plastic tub with a water reservoir in the bottom and a platform to separate the compounds from the water. This creates a humidity chamber for them. You could do something similar for your hones with a Tupperware (Rubbermaid, whatever) container.

I think people were talking about lacquering in case the cracks get really bad - the lacquer would provide some reinforcement. At least that's how I interpreted it.

I wanted to lap them just so they don't get any worse; I figure it's easier for a crack to spread than a new crack to form. Again, I could be totally wrong. The hone is so huge and the cracks are (I hope and assume) shallow, so I'm not worried about running through the hone.

I remember your humidity chamber idea, and I'm going to rummage around and see if I have any tubs that will work. If not, I'm going shopping. The paper towel think was mostly just a temporary solution till then.