Thread: South African Hones....

Originally Posted by CanCerManNor

Are there a shop/store where we can look at prices and sizes?

PM Mike and ask.

Getting more anxious. Hopefully my will be arriving soon. Have the 1st razor picked out; a Herbert Robinson&Co.

Ok, I finally got to lapp my Zulu Grey. Did a 200 w/d carbide sand paper, follow by 400, well worn DMT325, 800, 1000, 1200 w/d carbide sand paper and then finished with an atoma 1200. I don't know if it was the carbide paper or the stone was well lap from factory, but the lapping went much quicker than I thought. All the grid lines disappear evenly and quickly, the higher the grit the more time it took, but not much either. The surface felt smooth, but not much smoother than the no lapping side. Except when wet, the lapped side was shiny vs the other side was not evenly wet. In other words, I have to wet the stone to find the lapped side.

For the testing I took a Torry that is on my regular rotation. A few days before this test, the razor was starting to pull, so I took it to the pasted strops and it got smooth again, for a 85% BBS. After the new pasted refreshed shave, I decided to take it back to the 16K shapton glass, 2 laps on the .5 diamond strop, 4 laps on the .25 CBN pasted strop an finished with 20 laps on the .01 pasted micro felt (3"X8")+ 60 on leather. Shaved 3 passes on one side of the face (right), 90% BBS. Took the razor and did 25 laps on just water on the Zulu grey stone + 60 on leather. Re lather and did 2 passes on the other (left) side of the face, for a 95% BBS. The pasted side (right) was like "wow, this is smooth". The Zulu grey (left side) felt like "is this edge on my face or what?" specially WTG. I for go the XTG and went to ATG on the left side (Zulu grey). I could feel the blade as smooth as the pasted side but with definite improve sharpness. Went ahead and finished the shave with touch ups for a total BBS. The post shave with alum was also reveling. The left side (Zulu grey) had more overall "tingleness" (due, I think, to too much pressure) than the pasted side, where I felt the tingle on the chin and mustache area only.

I'm no honemeister (far from it). But using it like a hone/finisher water only, it improved the edge, both on sharpness and smoothness. More testing would let me know how far I can go with it. After that, my friend Jimmy Had (a true honemeister) will test it and then we'll see how far it can really go! Double O

Hi guys,

I just wanted to pop in with a quick catch up - Firstly just want to say again how glad I am in reading the very detailed shave reviews using my Zulu Grey hone, it really makes it all worth it indeed.

For those who are still awaiting their hones, I just wanted to tell you that I have almost all those orders on my bench waiting to be lapped and packed. So I'm looking to send off those this week as and when I finish them up - I'll PM those members who's stones will be in the mail this week.
Then I'm just still waiting on the remainder of newly cut stones to come back - so those who ordered latest will wait longer - and again I truly appreciate all your patience in this regard.

This brings me to my final point, and that is after I receive the newest batch of stones back, I should have plenty of extras 'wrapped and stocked' so all this waiting will be a thing of the past. There is an ongoing source of this stone, so for those interested I just wanted to let you know that I will stock the Zulu Grey in many sizes for quite the foreseeable future and will have a proper online store soon enough.

That's it, just wanted to check in and give you guys an update, to appease any concerns you may have - and so things are rolling forward for sure. Thanks again for you patience - it will be rewarded.

Sincerely,
- Mike

Originally Posted by Double0757

I'm no honemeister (far from it). But using it like a hone/finisher water only, it improved the edge, both on sharpness and smoothness. More testing would let me know how far I can go with it. After that, my friend Jimmy Had (a true honemeister) will test it and then we'll see how far it can really go! Double O

Hey, Thanks for the vote of confidence. Not that I'm offended or anything about all the testing I did. I pm'd Jimmy as well, and he told me he wasn't interested.....? I even offered to do a blade for him.


P.S. I did test this stone before and after an Escher. It will improve an Escher edge, not the other way around it. It's finer than an Escher.

Zib, you did get offended, well don't. Your reviews alone got me to buy a completely unknown stone. But "believe nothing you read and only half what you see" (Jimmy's dad quote). I will now see for my self how good this stone is. That's all. Jimmy told me he would test it for me on some of my blades, that's what I was referring. He honemeister, not me. You weren't even thought of when I wrote that, wasn't wrote to exclude you. So don't be offended. Double O

O.K. I'm convinced she's a great hone,
but before I buy one, I need to know if she can fix a good sandwich & pour me a drink when I'm done with her.

Originally Posted by Double0757

Zib, you did get offended, well don't. Your reviews alone got me to buy a completely known stone. But "believe nothing you read and only half what you see" (Jimmy's dad quote). I will now see for my self how good this stone is. That's all. Jimmy told me he would test it for me on some of my blades, that's what I was referring. He honemeister, not me. You weren't even thought of when I wrote that, wasn't wrote to exclude you. So don't be offended. Double O

Hey DoubleO - I think your previous post at the end there was just worded poorly, as you have addressed in your latest post.

I'm sure we can all agree the only reason this hone even exists as the product I've called Zulu Grey, was because Rich and Burt both took it upon themselves to dedicate proper time to testing this rock - for all our benefit. Zib especially has dedicated much time to his evaluation of this stone, and his initial findings have clearly been confirmed through your guys' own experiences in using the hone just as Rich had prescribed...

Poorly worded posts aside, Rich I don't think anyone here would argue your honemeister credentials.

Just saying.

- Mike.

Originally Posted by Hirlau

O.K. I'm convinced she's a great hone,
but before I buy one, I need to know if she can fix a good sandwich & pour me a drink when I'm done with her.

You honist chauvinist, Hirlau!

Originally Posted by zib

Hey, Thanks for the vote of confidence. Not that I'm offended or anything about all the testing I did. I pm'd Jimmy as well, and he told me he wasn't interested.....? I even offered to do a blade for him.


P.S. I did test this stone before and after an Escher. It will improve an Escher edge, not the other way around it. It's finer than an Escher.

I'll gladly send you my Filarmonica DT #13 if you wanna hone it up for me