Thread: Chinese Hone

Originally Posted by Zelenbakh

I wonder, what could be the cost of Escher 8' x 3' x 1'?

Eschers don't come in that size neither in 8" x 3" x 1".

Originally Posted by Zelenbakh

" If you have used a high quality natural Belgian stone, the Escher/Thuringian stone is NOT recommended as a final hone, because the edge profiles created by these stones are different and not complementary. A high quality Belgian stone (such as the ones we sell) produces an edge without burrs, therefore that edge is already drawn toward attaining an ideal finish, so you wouldn't gain any advantage by using the Escher."

That's a quote from TimberTools which sells new Thuringians as NOS Eschers, a total scam imo. I wouldn't put any value to that quote.

I've lapped quite a few hard stones and it can save hours by just starting with 120 grit sanding paper/mesh. If you're lapping a soft stone like a Thuringian you can start at a higher grit like 400-600 or if the stone you want to lap is already pretty flat.

Originally Posted by Piet

Eschers don't come in that size neither in 8" x 3" x 1".


That's a quote from TimberTools which sells new Thuringians as NOS Eschers, a total scam imo. I wouldn't put any value to that quote.

I've lapped quite a few hard stones and it can save hours by just starting with 120 grit sanding paper/mesh. Only if you're lapping a soft stone like a Thuringian you can start at a higher grit like 400-600.

I have two C12K stones, I did lapping for both and the progression was 600-800-1200. But each stone has a character, one of these Chinese quite a good cutter. As for the internet shop, I did not know about their bad reputation, they offer quite a lot of stones, including Belgians, which I like very much.
For Lapping I never use 120 grit sandpaper, it leaves scratches, it's better to use lapping stone, which is around 300 grit. My progression for lapping is very easy to check, it cost almost nothing and give fine result.

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