Thread: Chinese Hone

Originally Posted by shooter74743

A coticule wouldn't be much of a improvement over your Norton 4/8...

I'd have to disagree, qualifying my different opinion with my own experience. I have used several, and while I can not estimate their grit accurately, they all provided a significantly smoother shaves than my Naniwa 8K, which is not a Norton 8k but similar. Granted it depends which coticule you get, but they certainly can improve an 8K's edge. Some people here finish on them alone. I prefer the Escher.

So what is an "Escher", I'm not familiar with that term.

An Escher is a brand of natural hone mined by Escher and Co in Thuringen, Germany. They are no longer produced. They are alleged by some (including myself) to impart the best possible finishing edge on a straight razor.

I should add they are highly collectible and not only within the straight razor community, various groups of people seek to acquire them, from collectors to Rabbis for slaughtering Kosher meat. This has increased their price from about 5 dollars when they were originally sold, to in excess of 100 times that nowadays and this is not due to inflation alone.

well the c12k doesn't cost over 30 $ so you could buy both i have two c12k and love them they give a sharp edge and a comfortable shave

VictorARJ,
Send me a blade and I will finish it on Naniwa 12K & then you can decide. If you live anywhere close to NE TX or SE OK, you are welcomed to try out all of my stones & maybe I can pass a trick or two off to you.

A PHIG (Chinese so called 12K) will take 3-4x as many passes as a synthetic stone. A Naniwa 12K will take 10-20 passes, the PHIG approx 60+. If I'm going to make that many passes, I'll be finishing on my Charnley Forrest. If you buy three synthetic finishers, they will act the same every time. If you buy three naturals, each will have a personality of it's own.

In a nutshell, you get what you pay for. The PHIG will get you by, especially if you are on a budget...most of us have been there. I have to save for every stone I pick up. The cheapest place that I know of to buy a PHIG is Woodworking Plans & Tools | Fine Woodworking Project & Supplies at Woodcraft , they have two sizes to choose from. If you go ahead and get a PHIG & then try a Naniwa or Shapton finisher down the road...you will see what I was talking about.

Best of luck to you!
Scott

The Escher is a Thüringian natural hone.
By many, myself included, considered to be among the very best finishers available today.
Do note that I said amongst, there are many great finishers out there. Both natural and synthetic.
The prices they reach on ebay and other places, reflects the perceived quality of them.

Edit:
You are as quick as you are right, Scipio

But again I will state that it would be easier for him or any other person new to honing to learn to use a Naniwa or Shapton finisher (I consider anything over 8K a finisher). Natural's have a whole other learning curve that would be easier to learn after a baseline or foundation of synthetic knowledge (like the Norton 4/8K) is learned.

The simple fact is: If a person can't get good shave off a Norton 4/8K or a Naniwa 3/8K, that person doesn't have a good foundation yet & need to stay with those stones until they do...period.

Originally Posted by shooter74743

But again I will state that it would be easier for him or any other person new to honing to learn to use a Naniwa or Shapton finisher (I consider anything over 8K a finisher). Natural's have a whole other learning curve that would be easier to learn after a baseline or foundation of synthetic knowledge (like the Norton 4/8K) is learned.

The simple fact is: If a person can't get good shave off a Norton 4/8K or a Naniwa 3/8K, that person doesn't have a good foundation yet & need to stay with those stones until they do...period.

I agree. From my own experience I can safely say that the synthetics was the easiest when starting out.
My first finisher was a Naniwa SS 12K, and that gave, and still gives, a wonderfully smooth edge.
Naturally, only if the razor is properly honed up to that point.
The worlds best finishers won't help at all, if the previous work isn't done properly up to that point

Originally Posted by Scipio

I'd have to disagree, qualifying my different opinion with my own experience. I have used several, and while I can not estimate their grit accurately, they all provided a significantly smoother shaves than my Naniwa 8K, which is not a Norton 8k but similar. Granted it depends which coticule you get, but they certainly can improve an 8K's edge. Some people here finish on them alone. I prefer the Escher.

Me too. Escher is my go to finisher, I keep one out by my blades for quick touch ups..

I've tried most of the natural finishers and just don't find the Escher can be beaten. Jnats, Charnleys the lot.