Thread: Sound and feel of Chinese 12k

Here goes my first post. I have a Chinese 12k and it feels smoother than my Norton 8k to the touch of my finger, but with a razor it feels and sounds alot rougher. I lapped it using a d8c and a 1k stone. Was just wondering if it is supposed to sound and feel that much different. Any input would be appreciated.

This is my humbe opinion and someone can correct me if I'm wrong. Couple of possibility's, try cleaning the stone again just to make sure there's no residual grit in the grain from the 1K or two you need to do more laps on the 8K.

My c12k feels gritty if I haven't polished the blade enough on the 8000k. After about 5 laps on the C12k if I am still getting that gritty feel I go back to the 8000k.

To me the blade is ready for the c12k when the blade runs smooth across the hone and feels like its on the verge of cutting into the hone. That's the only way I can describe it. It's like the blade is suctioned to the hone, and has a unigue sound and feel when the blade crosses the hone.

I get some pretty darn good edges for shaving using this approach. There's enough C12k users, so I'm sure other's will come along and provide some insight to your issue. I hope this helps.

Thanks I'll have to try that. That could also be why my razor that I restored isn't quite shave ready yet either.

Yeah, in my experience they are quite glasslike in feel but as the edge starts to max out it sucks down onto the hone. Starting off with a slurry on the Chinese stone not only speeds things up but also improves feedback and the slurry stone seems to aid in polishing up the stone.

Which 1k stone did you use to lap the Chinese stone after the d8c? The Chinese stone is very hard and I don't imagine many 1k stones aside from diamond plates would affect the surface much. I lapped mine up to 2000 grit with wet/dry then give them a good rubbing over with a hard natural stone, or slurry stone, even then it tends to improve and a few hundred laps of steel on stone.

One the other hand you may just have a poor Chinese stone, you wouldn't be the first to report it degrading the edge off an 8k synth.

I don't know, 1k is Synthetic, and the 12k is natural. I know the 12k is porous, I've cut enough of them. You could have some 1k grit embedded in your 12k. I'd take some wet sandpaper, 400-1000 grit, Wrap it around your dmt plate tightly, Now you have a nice flat sanding block that will polish your stone. Give that a try. When I do this, It gives my stones a nice glass like surface.

Originally Posted by Proinsias

Yeah, in my experience they are quite glasslike in feel but as the edge starts to max out it sucks down onto the hone. Starting off with a slurry on the Chinese stone not only speeds things up but also improves feedback and the slurry stone seems to aid in polishing up the stone.

I agree with Proinsias. My C12k has definitely a glasslike feelling.
I too use it after the Norton 8k. Initially with slur on it and in the last 20-30 passes with water only.
I am not very experienced with honing as I am on straight shaving for a year and a half, but I am very satisfied with my C12k.

I used a Norton 1k to remove the scratches that the dmt left behind. I'll try some wet/dry and see if that changes the feeling. As it being so hard didn't think the synthetic would leave any grit behind

I've had a few of them that were a bear to get the gritty feel out. I've always done it by lapping more.
Good luck!