Thread: Mud Hone

Originally Posted by LarryAndro

I was able to track down the guy you initially sold the hone to my friend. He said they weren't what he thought it was when ordered, and had no more idea than me. He said someone he sold one to said it cut like a 4K, which seems about right to me. His described the stone as smelling like sand.

By the way, when honing last night, I went from Naniwa 1K to the "mud hone" to the 5K, skipping my 3K. That worked quite well.

Some razors seem to develop wire and burr edges more easily than others. With this mud hone, this problem seems to be much less common. With the soft feel of the surface - it almost feels soft, muddy - that does not surprise me. The Naniwa 3K, which is the hone I skipped, is hard, much harder.

It is almost like it creates its own slurry.

Does the dude have any more? Can he give us his source? Curiosity is killing me...

Originally Posted by JimR

Does the dude have any more? Can he give us his source? Curiosity is killing me...

He thinks he has more, and is going to root around in his garage. I think he's lost track of the supplier.

Originally Posted by JimR

Does the dude have any more? Can he give us his source? Curiosity is killing me...

I already asked last night...

BTW: My Nakayama Asagi from OS has color like that....

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Looks kind of like a hone a guy gave to me and another to Sham. He said it was a hindostan. Not saying it is but it looks very similar AFAIC.

Edit; here is a link to photos of the stone I'm referring to.

Just to add. Hindostan stones are supposed to have thick & thin banding. That one seems to fit the picture.

I'd like one if they become available

I looked up some Hindostan hone pictures, and it certainly looks like my mud hone. I attached a picture of one of the Hindostan's I found on sale somewhere. Here's the accompanying description, which doesn't describe the mud hone at all!

"I haven't really experimented with it much, but I have found that it is exceptionally hard, it has a glass-like surface sheen and it leaves a very finely polished bevel - it is a very fair, slow acting finishing or polishing stone. It is very like a translucent hard white arkansas stone I once had - certainly it seems to be composed of the same, hard, glassy material (novaculite) but it is not really translucent."

Not all of any natural hones are identical. But, the above description would tend to make me think it isn't a Hindostan. The biggest features that are different is that this hone feels soft to the touch, almost like the very top of the hone had turned mushy. Also, it is a medium to fast cutter in my opinion; I have experimented, and substituted it for a 3K and 5K, for example, going from the 1K to the 8K with no problem and without taking much time.

Originally Posted by zib

I already asked last night...

BTW: My Nakayama Asagi from OS has color like that....

Your Nakayama is really a hindostan from Indiana

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Your Nakayama is really a hindostan from Indiana

That would suck...

Originally Posted by LarryAndro

Not all of any natural hones are identical. But, the above description would tend to make me think it isn't a Hindostan. The biggest features that are different is that this hone feels soft to the touch, almost like the very top of the hone had turned mushy. Also, it is a medium to fast cutter in my opinion; I have experimented, and substituted it for a 3K and 5K, for example, going from the 1K to the 8K with no problem and without taking much time.

Maybe there is a soft & a hard as with Arks. This one is advertised as soft

The Hindostan (I just learned) is quarried at Hindostan, a town in Indiana, which is in Orange County. So, it is sometimes referred to as a Hindostan or Orange hone. Search down here...

http://straightrazorpalace.com/hones...ea-origin.html

And, you will find a lot more info about the Hindostan.