Thread: Chinese Waterstone

A member asked if anyone had used the Chinese waterstones available from Woodcraft. I have one and have tested it on a variety of blades. I can't recommend it for straight razors as it's too coarse but it is good for plane irons, kitchen knives, and wood chisels (those are what I tested). It doesn't make a very copious slurry and really needs to be kept soaking in water or it won't work well. It doesn't fizz like a Norton when immersed so just leave it in the water for at least an hour. At $40 including shipping it's a nice bench stone but it won't do anything a DMT won't do and I'd rather use the diamond stones.

I use the 12k as a polishing/finishing stone before I go to the Chromium Oxide. For me it works great and I do recommend it for straights. As a matter of fact I used it twice today once on a Jung and once on a Dubl Duck. The 12k did a very nice job of finishing the edge before moving on to the next step. I've read other members using this same stone with good results.

Raf

I'm also using the Chinese water stone. To me, it's the best thing since crushed ice because of its size, price, and finishing qualities. It's probably a good idea to lap it first, but mine didn't have a rough texture and after running a knife across it to check for any high/rough spots, it was good to go. Have you tried lapping it or making a slurry with it before honing your straights? I guess it's also possible since it's quarried, you could've gotten a poor quality stone.

My chinese 12k is a realy good finishing stone. It does take quite a few laps ( like 100) and you do need to keep the surface refreshed. The end result is a very sharp edge. It is a finishing stone to be used after the Norton 8K and as an alternative to the Belgians and Eschers.


Just my two cents,

I just finished using my Chinese water stone for getting the perfect edge on my Mitchell straight razor. I think the razor is made from German or American steel and certainly harder than most of my Sheffield steel razors, so extra passes on the hone were required, even after going from a 10k hone to the 12k hone. The result? A flawless shave that let me go against the grain on my neck with no irritation or pulling whatsoever. In my opinion, you just can't beat the stone for the performance at the price!

It's a very fine stone that's a great size and at a great price. It's NOT a fast cutting hone at all but that's not a bad thing for a finishing hone. I doubt anyone would be likely to overhone with it. I also use mine as a substrate for newspaper stropping. I wrap the newspaper around it and it works great for that, too. In a pinch I've stood it on it's end and used one end as a quick and dirty mini-anvil for tightening pins with a tiny little jeweler's hammer.

I like mine as well. It is a very slow cutter but is of a very fine grit. I can't say for sure it is 12K but it is certainly finer than a Norton.

Tony

Do you guys mean the Japanese Water Stones, I can't find any Chinese water stone woodcraft.com,http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=242 only these


edit ok I Found them here

That's my advice. If you find a hone that works well with your razor and produces a flawless shave on your face, stick with it.