Thread: Chinese Hone

For lapping, I always use wet/dry sandpaper. I dont use tape to hold it down as a little water will cause plenty of "stiction". Sandpaper is cheap, DMT's aren't. I usually start with 400 grit & stop at 1K, with nothing in-between. I was fortunate enough to get a piece of granite that was a "cut-out" for a kitchen sink for free. Before that, the counter-top worked just fine...just had to pay particular attention to not scratch it...SWMBO kept her eye on me.

Back on the C12K/PHIG, I wasn't fortunate enough to find one that would cut fast enough for me. I'm sure this is why I don't personally recommend them. I bought two hoping to get one that was worthwhile, but it wasn't in the cards/my luck. The big one is HUGE & you could easily use the side for those difficult blades that may have a bad grind.

For what it's worth, I have one set of hones and only do razors for myself. I can easily achieve a good shaving edge from my 8K stone. That being said, I purchased the C12K based partly on some reviews here, and partly on it's price and local availability. The stone I have is very hard, and as said many times here quite a slow cutter. The speed of the cut is greatly increased with making slurry on the stone. I make the slurry with my DMT. I observed in Glen's videos his technique of a couple of figure 8's on his stones right before he puts a blade on them. This cleans the stone, and does provide a slurry. If I feel I need or want more, I just give it a couple more passes.

I will usually get the edge as perfect as I can with the 8K, then move on to the 12K with light slurry, diluting as I go. I just did an experiment with my 12K that produced excellent results. After I finished honing the razor, a shave test told me that while it was very sharp and adequately shaveable, it could have been a bit smoother. I went back to the hones, and did a pyramid on my Norton 8K and C12K stones. I started them both with a light slurry, and diluted through the pyramid, ending with water only on both stones. I finished with a few passes on the C12K with only water. I'll tell you what, I was SHOCKED at how much smoother the shave turned out. The shave literally went from a "That's a good shave" to "WOW that was an AMAZING shave"

Long story longer..... I like my C12K stone. I don't see how it can be beaten for the money, and the results I am able to achieve from it.

Adam MA's post is my experience almost to a T.


Mick

Originally Posted by Scipio

PHIG = People's Hone (of) Invariable Grit (Holli4Pirating, 2009)

I believe that name actually was coined by Ron/Utopian as PHIG = People's Hone of Indeterminate Grit)

I can search out the thread but I remember him on a tirade as to why we call it a 12k when we call no other Natural by a grit rating

Just saying..

Considering price factor I would call Cninese a PH - people's hone.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

I believe that name actually was coined by Ron/Utopian as PHIG = People's Hone of Indeterminate Grit)

I can search out the thread but I remember him on a tirade as to why we call it a 12k when we call no other Natural by a grit rating

Just saying..

My bad, I thought it was Dilan who named it. Sorry folks. It was definitely not invariable, thats actually contradictory!

Trust me Maurice I could be wrong too it has happened before I just rarely like to admit it hehehe

Now I guess I am going to have to go look though or it will bug me hehehe

Wanna bet Ben/Slarti or Lee/Hoglahoo beat me to it though

Hmmmm the mystery is on, as this is the thread I thought it was named in

http://straightrazorpalace.com/hones...ing-12k-2.html

Maybe Dylan did name it... now we must search or Dylan could pipe up here??????

I got one at Woodcraft local store. I got the larger which is thicker and wider. I figured, what the heck, it's not like I'm going to buy this one and in 2 years go by another one. This one is a darker grayish, with some fine darker streaks in it. Seems like I read someplace that the better hones were hard and gray colored, rather than any bluish tint. It's natural, so who knows exactly what grit it really is. Same as a Coticule, is it 8K or 7.5K, or maybe even 10K. They are what they are. This one I lapped flat and find it really puts a shine to the bevel, and I don't even see any slurry with it.

After a huddle with the search guru's we found references to the name back into 9/09 and a reference where Dylan claimed it, and they seem to think it started sometime around there in Chat (by Dylan) actually as an appeasement to Ron's post about it
So now you can say I was wrong ONCE!!!!!!