Thread: Lapping hones on counters?

Originally Posted by tmikell

Wow! Thanks for all the responses and great input!! I tried it on my PHIG as a test and it seemed to work well. I never thought about messing up the granite but i was really careful and will probably get a small granite tile like others have said just to be safe. Would it be worth it to progressively increase the grit of sandpaper to "finish" the stone, or is that a waste of time?

You will find that 99.9% of everything about buying, using , honing , maintaining etc about a straight razor is 'Personal Preference'!!!

'Personally' I lapped my Norton 4/8 on 3M 220 grit wet and dry on the counter-top. However once I got my DMT (325/Medium grit) I've lapped the 4/8 and my Naniwa 12K before each use.

To tell you the truth, I can't notice any difference between the 220 W&D and the DMT! With the exception that the DMT is much easier to use and control!!!

PERSONAL PREFERENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don’t use the counter, just a bad idea.

Use a one dollar cookie sheet and a flattish piece of concrete, your garage floor and a sheet of wet and dry 320. The cookie sheet bridges any low spots and contains the slurry. You also can use your body weight on the stone.

Use a Carpenters Pencil, the thick flat one from Lowes or Home depot, soft thick lead does not wash off with the slurry as easily as a regular pencil. Do spin the stone 180 degrees.

Or a piece of granite from Habitat for Humanity, I got a 20 x 16 piece for a couple dollars. Or a 30 dollar, no name 140 grit 8X3 diamond plate from Chef Knives to go. They will lap a stone in minutes.

Synthetics are fine at 320 grit finish, hard naturals benefit greatly by higher finishes. Phigs C12k’s will improve with an ark like hard steel finish.