Thread: peoples hone of indeterminate grit(phig) I don't like this name.

I give you the:

CHWAA12k+



(The chinese hone woodcraft advertises as 12k+)

I personally think there is some jealousy that somebody can get fantastic results with a PHIG especially
from people who spent a little fortune on expensive hones........

Ahhhh, yes...been waiting on that one. Some expensive stones provide better edges some don't. They are naturals, you cannot ever forget about that variable.

The key is that usually once someone is up to the skill level to justify purchasing a more expensive stone, the "whatever stone" falls into the shadows of the more expensive stones like a quality JNAT, Escher, Thuringian, Charnley Forrest, Special Stone, and so on. They are more expensive because they ARE better for the most part.

"Whatever Stones" are great for what beginners are looking for: a natural finisher. As long as they understand that they are about to purchase & have read up on how to properly use a "whatever stone", then they feel that they have the best stone available...until their skills grow and pocket book has rebounded. Some are content with their stone and never move on...great for them. That's the best part of this sport...as long as it works for you, who cares what someone else thinks.

Originally Posted by shooter74743

Ahhhh, yes...been waiting on that one. Some expensive stones provide better edges some don't. They are naturals, you cannot ever forget about that variable.

The key is that usually once someone is up to the skill level to justify purchasing a more expensive stone, the "whatever stone" falls into the shadows of the more expensive stones like a quality JNAT, Escher, Thuringian, Charnley Forrest, Special Stone, and so on. They are more expensive because they ARE better for the most part.

"Whatever Stones" are great for what beginners are looking for: a natural finisher. As long as they understand that they are about to purchase & have read up on how to properly use a "whatever stone", then they feel that they have the best stone available...until their skills grow and pocket book has rebounded. Some are content with their stone and never move on...great for them. That's the best part of this sport...as long as it works for you, who cares what someone else thinks.

As you said, they are naturals and vary wildly. And a good PHIG/C-Nat-C12K-Whatever stone can actually hang with Eschers/Turis/CF/Whatever_Expensive stone!

You may have to go through a few of them, even a lot, but they do exist. (IMO)

Well, the expensive hones where not supposed to be expensive. And 50 years ago, all the WOA escher Llyn Idwals etc where sold cheaper than the equivalent price of the Chinese hone. Especially the Charnley forest. From what I know no one liked it because it is so slow. and now people pay 200$ for a piece of a stone which someone very smart had this brilliant idea to cut the stone in half.