Thread: These just came in!

So I had a couple rocks custom cut, each are 12" X 3" X 1" and come with slurry stones.

Top one is a Welsh slate at 15+K Thuringan (correct me if I have the wrong name)
And the second is a purple LLYN MELYNLLYN at +- 12K

I was wondering what is the best way to treat the surface? There are a few deep scratches in the face, would they cause issues? Is it possible to wreck the surface trying to smooth things out?

I have read a couple posts on the slates, but all its done is made me scratch my head. If someone can make an educated guesstimation from the pics and provide an opinion on how to finish the surface, I would appreciate it.

Now, I need to learn to use them correctly! lol!!

Here they are wet.

You should really lap the stones flat before use - that will take care of the scratches. You can use a diamond plate such as a DMT 325, a stout piece of flat glass with wet'n'dry sandpaper and water, or glass with lapidary grit and water - there is plenty of info on this site about lapping and how to do it. Lapping to 325 grit is the minimum - the stones will perform better if lapped to 600 or higher, but work your way up from low grit to high in steps, eg, 240, 325, 400, 600.

I agree that one stone is probably finer (of a higher grit equivalence if you like, though you can't assign grit ratings to natural stones, its just a convenient bechmark for performance), but I would be very leery of those vastly over-inflated grit ratings you have got from somewhere. I wouldn't put the highest one at much over 10k, personally.

Regards,
Neil

Great stones! "As with all Naturals" as everyone here says and you will see over and over again, there is some variation in performance. Maybe I just got a 'good one' but my purple stone from AJ puts a nicer edge on my razors than the 12k naniwa (just my opinion) and I use them as pre-polishers for my jnats now. The "thuringian" which it is not, might slightly improve the edge. Very versatile hones. A few of the very senior guys have used them with great success, especially the purple one. The purple one was also used by Lynn to do the one stone honing, if i recall correctly.

Originally Posted by brooksie967

Maybe I just got a 'good one' but my purple stone from AJ puts a nicer edge on my razors than the 12k naniwa (just my opinion)

So with that statement are you saying that it is a "Higher grit" then a 12k ????

Because that is exactly how many would perceive what you posted, which is exactly where AJ gets the idea to contuinue to boost the Grit ratings in his advertising, and the cycle continues...

These are excellent stones for learn how to squeeze the most from a finish stone. As said, finishing the stone properly does make a difference, most especially for a finish stone. I like a drop or two of Smith Honing Oil with water on these for final finishing.

Experimenting with slurry’s, sprays, viscosity and pressure will enlighten and entertain you for some time. In the end you will develop some skills.

Enjoy

Originally Posted by Euclid440

These are excellent stones for learn how to squeeze the most from a finish stone. As said, finishing the stone properly does make a difference, most especially for a finish stone. I like a drop or two of Smith Honing Oil with water on these for final finishing.

Experimenting with slurry’s, sprays, viscosity and pressure will enlighten and entertain you for some time. In the end you will develop some skills.

Enjoy

+ 1 on that, that's exactly why I found them "fun".
Not bad stones either and the price is usually right.

Rookie question... For argument sake, lets say a given stone is in the 10 to 12K range. If the stone is used as received with a lapped 400 grit finish, and the other side gets worked and lapped to 600-800 or more, apart from the surface is there much of a difference is abrasion? Just thinking, the stone hasn't changed, it is still a 10 to 12K stone, that is smoother yes, but as far as its honing ability the structure of the stone is still unchanged...

I understand smoother stone/smoother finish, is this what it boils down to? The treatment the stone has received? Because the size of the abrasive has not changed.

AJ also cautioned me not to finish too fine, because of quartz being the abrasive, if its taken to fine it messes it up somehow? Thoughts?

Originally Posted by gssixgun

So with that statement are you saying that it is a "Higher grit" then a 12k ????

Because that is exactly how many would perceive what you posted, which is exactly where AJ gets the idea to contuinue to boost the Grit ratings in his advertising, and the cycle continues...

I haven't the equipment to compare scratch patterns in a meaningful way. I personally like the edge it produces better than the razors I've finished on the 12k Naniwa, that's all I'm trying to say. Why do you and other people choose to finish razors on any of your hones? I see you finishing razors on the norton, coticules, naniwas, eschers; there has to be a reason for this other than "I just felt like using this stone today". For whatever reason, different steel, grinds, razors work better with different stones. Maybe it's just my luck, no idea Glen, but I really do like the edge it produces better than the 12k Naniwa 99% of the time.

Originally Posted by brooksie967

I haven't the equipment to compare scratch patterns in a meaningful way. I personally like the edge it produces better than the razors I've finished on the 12k Naniwa, that's all I'm trying to say. Why do you and other people choose to finish razors on any of your hones? I see you finishing razors on the norton, coticules, naniwas, eschers; there has to be a reason for this other than "I just felt like using this stone today". For whatever reason, different steel, grinds, razors work better with different stones. Maybe it's just my luck, no idea Glen, but I really do like the edge it produces better than the 12k Naniwa 99% of the time.

Ahhhhh see that is what I was digging for...

I have a personal pet peeve about Natural "grit" ratings as do many others.. I especially don't like when the Sellers start using them to promote their stones, I have said this many times, "Go back in the Archives before the Shaptons became popular, and you would be hard pressed to find many claims of any stones higher then 10k"
Now we have people claiming all sorts of numbers on all sorts of Stones and Hones.. I saw one earlier of a Barber Hone rated at over 12k...
We have AJ and the Polish guy on e-bay using this and now claiming 15k rating on the WHIGs and the PHIGs ie: the cycle continues and the numbers keep going up, the worst part is that you also can't prove that is not true.. This is all just guessing, or really a WAG

Saying the edge produced feels better on your face I agree with, and say the same, but the variablity of why, has so much more involved then simply grit ratings..
It could be something as simple as you are more comfortable using the WHIG then you are using the Naniwa...

Scratch patterns, are another huge source of Mis-information as are Micrographs, they lead to many assumptions based on the looks of the Bevel, instead of the performance of the edge...

This all of course is JMHO, but honestly I laugh everytime I see a higher number claimed... The best was the guy claiming 50k Japanese naturals and within 6 months he changed it to 100k.. You can't really call it wrong, but ya sure can smile..

When I first got the purple one, I experimented with it on hundreds of razors. It certainly can produce a nice finish and it can be used with the one stone method. It is definitely not as consistent a finisher as the Naniwa SS 12K and is certainly not a better finisher in my opinion. YMMV which in this case is why so many new people get confused with so much conflicting information.

Escalating post counts do not always correspond with experience.

Have fun.

Originally Posted by brooksie967

Great stones! "As with all Naturals" as everyone here says and you will see over and over again, there is some variation in performance. Maybe I just got a 'good one' but my purple stone from AJ puts a nicer edge on my razors than the 12k naniwa (just my opinion) and I use them as pre-polishers for my jnats now. The "thuringian" which it is not, might slightly improve the edge. Very versatile hones. A few of the very senior guys have used them with great success, especially the purple one. The purple one was also used by Lynn to do the one stone honing, if i recall correctly.