Quote Originally Posted by stmaiku View Post
It seems that my fortune is a result of my stone and the nature of the kamisori. I would not be able to reproduce this with a western razor, for sure. I was able to get the great results from this stone (bevel to finish on one stone, and quickly) because it was a kamisori and a good Kiita. Because of the way the kamisori is shaped and composed, one is able to apply and control much greater spans of pressure than one could with a western straight. Also, this type of razor allows a great deal of control when honing, and sharpens very well (some say easily). I pressure sharpen like a sashimi knife, with my fingers on the blade (although facing me). As I work, I lighten the pressure. To finish, I use only one hand and very very light pressure like most others.

I have always strived for a minimalist setup, with one razor (or two ), and one stone. I am happy to report I am able to do this. Again, though, I don't think this can be done with anything other than a kamisori style razor (although some of the more skilled people here might..?). Thanks to all the geniuses who are on this site, though - it is a tremendous resource for learning.



I have come to believe whether right or wrong, that to get the most out of many Japanese finishers the slurry has to be worked, ie: crushed and smashed into a fine powder
Kamisori style honing, with the pressure fluctuations on the edge does this by it's very nature, Western style razors and the honing we do with them does not..
Some people save the slurry on the stone and continue to use it, which is one way around this, but makes your stone very limited for use, I also think that the slow break down of the slurry is what creates the beautiful haze bevel finish and eventually the final break down gets the mirror at the very edge...
I have been using that Pigtail stoke for breaking down the slurry when honing Western razors on the Nakayama, then slowly working to a point where I can get almost the same effect of the haze -to- mirror as I can on the Kamisori, it is not as smooth a progression as the Kamisori style honing produces naturally, and takes much more time and patience, but it can work...

This is what I gave found works on my stone, doesn't mean it will work on yours, but it could be a starting point for you anyway...