Thread: JNat for Dummies

Originally Posted by tlittle

What does that mean? Are prefinishers physically unable to produce a final finished edge on a razor? Shouldn't finishers also be able to prefinish using nagura stones to create a slurry? Am I completely off the mark here?

To use synthetics as a comparison, consider the prefinisher as the 10 - 16k you may use before a 20 - 30 k
You certainly can use nagura on a finisher but sometimes the work goes quicker with a slightly more abrasive stone.
Some fast Jnat prefinishers can even work well after 4k & maybe even lower but if you can finish a razor at 8k with synthetics & love the shave most Jnat prefinishers would would still give you a further improvement & there is the grey area. What was a finisher originally ( 8k ) changes status & yet the new "finisher" is only a prefinisher relative to a finer stone. Honing relativity theory

Ah, that's kind of what I figured. I've got a coticule, so if I were to get a finishing stone with a nagura would it still (relatively) easily bridge the gap after maxing out the edge on the coticule?

It's likely, again depending on each stone involved.
Usual disclaimer. The bevel set is a major influence on your finishing results.

I find this prepolisher stuff funny. It sounds if you couldn't get a fantastic shave off of them, where it literally means: there are even better stones, and Jnats out there. This is like you would call a Naniwa 10k a prepolisher, or a coti, just because there are finer stones out there

In my book everything falls in the finishing category that improves a 8k synth shave, be it a synthetic or natural stone. Sure, there are differences between them, in final sharpness and such, but a nice "prefinisher" Jnat can beat a 12k nani if you find the right one. What now a final finisher is, could be a prefinisher after a few years, when nanogrit stones and films and sprays will become available and common. But the truth is, about everything above 8k can give you a very satisfactory and nice shave

Prepolisher and finisher is actually created by costumers and not sellers, when you ask, you need a hone that is coarser then your finisher you ask for prepolisher
In many cases the buyer ask, can you get a prepolisher for my finesher.
But you are right in many cases you can get very good edge from prepolishers but it really depend on what stone you have.

In a very real way the members of this and other razor forums are helping to create the language in English to describe these stones, their use and how we handle them. Much of the language has already been in use on the woodworking forums, but the dedication to achieve the very finest of edges seems to be the quest of the razor users above all other groups like tool users. The reason is in part because as we shave with these razors honed off the stones it is either a pain or a pleasure, two subjects men like to talk about and sometimes share with each other. There is still a lot yet to discover. Alx

Thread went O/T to Coticules so have moved those posts to Honing forum under new title, "Coticules for Dummies"
That discussion can be continued at link below:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...s-dummies.html