New PHIG

Just got my new 8x3 PHIG/C12K/C-natural...whatever.
This image is of the hone when it is dry. I have created a slurry on it and it is a slightly dirty white colour, like cream but I didn't take a photo of that..sorry.

What does everyone think? I know that as a natural stone the only way to tell is to actually use it but from everything I have been able to read, the stones of this appearance have been good finishers.
Can't wait till I get the rest of the gear in the near future and start learning to hone!! :D

Looks like you got the last hone in your progression taken care of. Now all you need is something to make the razor sharp. :)

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Originally Posted by regularjoe

Looks like you got the last hone in your progression taken care of. Now all you need is something to make the razor sharp. :)

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yeah, having trouble deciding what bevel setter to get though haha

I got one of them as my first hone and still really like. If you've got shave ready razors it can keep them going indefinitely. The hardness of the stone forces a good technique but I find it a little more forgiving starting with a slurry, then dilute to finish on water.

I've had two. The second one had a texture on the surface like you're showing there and was a much better finisher than the one that has a perfectly even surface. I sold it, though, and I sort of wish I hadn't. I think you'll probably find that to be a very good finishing stone. If you think it's too slow, slurry it with something for the first strokes.

What are you using to slurry it? Is a coticule slurry stone OK or will that create grit contamination? I tried a DMT pocket plate but I was afraid to mess the lapping (even though it seems hard enough)...

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Originally Posted by grizli

What are you using to slurry it?

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I got this one from 'the Polish guy' as we all seem to know him on ebay. It came with its own PHIG slurry stone but from what I can see the slurry stone is not from the same piece as the hone itself as its colour and pattern is slightly different. I tried making some slurry with it and eventually got some and I mean eventually!! was very slow. I want to get a DMT 325 for lapping and making slurry like how gssixgun does in his honing video's. I'm also tempted to go the DMT 1200 for this purpose as well. Everyone seems to believe that their stones work much better when lapped and polished and that they don't the scratches left by the lower grits.

This will be all apart of my learning and experimentation though to find what works best for me and my stone.

I wouldn't use a DMT1200 for lapping or maybe even slurrying. The finer ones tend to lose their diamonds when used this way. DMT actually recommends against using the 325 for lapping. My 650 (or whatever it is, exactly) didn't last long once I started using it that way. Wet/dry sandpaper for smoothing will save you some bucks on your finer DMT plates.

What I did with my C12k slurry stone is cut diagonal lines in it with a hacksaw and it makes slurry ALOT easier now.

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Originally Posted by roughkype

I wouldn't use a DMT1200 for lapping or maybe even slurrying. The finer ones tend to lose their diamonds when used this way. DMT actually recommends against using the 325 for lapping. My 650 (or whatever it is, exactly) didn't last long once I started using it that way. Wet/dry sandpaper for smoothing will save you some bucks on your finer DMT plates.

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I wouldn't use the 1200 for lapping as such, more just to use as a quick cleanup before use. Maybe, if you want a slurry without scratches from the 325, could you use the 325 quickly and then do the same with the 1200 after? That way they are not getting used for lapping of the PHIG as such
Surely if people use the hones (1200) for bevel setting then they should last quite some time? Anyone know the lifespan of DMT's according to how you use them?

Yes, the diamond hones have a very long lifespan. I think we shorten them by lapping, but doubt if we shorten them by any sort of honing we do. Maybe if we honed axes with them we'd notice a difference.

JSmith has a good idea. You can also speed slurrying by using your slurry stone on one of its corners, instead of on a flat face. And your idea with your DMT1200 is good, but I wouldn't do it with my own. Let us know if you notice any decrement to the 1200 after a while. Maybe I'm crazy.

I've always used my DMT325 for both lapping and creating slurry (ala Glen) and it's worked out OK for me YMMV

here is a pic of it all slurried up :)
Attachment 103820

Well that slurry stone looks like its working very well for you!