Thread: First razor to pass HHT!

Excellent Work Marshal: Nothing like using grandpa's honing stones to make your Dovo "Shave Ready"

Just some observations on your journey.

The Arkies are great finishers but they can be unforgiving bst*&%ds, You can stuff up an edge on them pretty easily in my experience. It sounds like you're on the right track though in getting them properly flat - you'll never have to do it again, they are seriously hard.

Re the Chinese 12k: in you first post you said "I would wager it was behaving more like a 6k or 7k hone" - never a truer word has been said. What you have found is a reflection of the high degree of variability inherent in natural stones, especially the one we call the "people's hone of indeterminate grit".

Sounds like you've got over the hump in honing, and as many others have said before me, don't underestimate the usefulness of the Norton 4k/8k; you can actually get terrific shaving edges off this stone.

Let us know how you go.

Success once again. This time with some more naturals with family history! It sounds like another natural stone convert. Lol. Synthetics can do just as good but for me I prefered the smooth edge and then there is something about knowing i got my razor sharp by rubbing it against a rock! The caveman in me I guess. Much more of a challenge = much more rewarding. I sold off all my synthetics past 1K since I found a Guangxi that works remarkably. Now that's all I use and I am not alone. It sounds like you found some great stones. As was mentioned all natural stones vary so when you find a good one you have a diamond in the rough. Someday I will replace my 1K with a natural bevel setter.

I think the Guangxi has gotten better. I took some 1K and 2k Wet or dry to it. Then used some slurry built up off the 4K and 8K Nortons to polish it up some. It feels like it's honing better than before, and I'll wager it will get better with more use like most naturals do.

The only thing I'm not liking about the synthetics is how soft they are and how easily they wear. I feel like if you use them on a regular basis for more than razor honing (like I tend to) you'll be buying new hones once or twice a year. I don't mean to sound like I'm putting the Nortons down, they do create a very nice edge. But like Maladroit said, once an Arkie is flat, you'll never have to flatten it again. Those stones will literally last a life time of use.

Originally Posted by Steel

Success once again. This time with some more naturals with family history! It sounds like another natural stone convert. Lol. Synthetics can do just as good but for me I prefered the smooth edge and then there is something about knowing i got my razor sharp by rubbing it against a rock! The caveman in me I guess. Much more of a challenge = much more rewarding. I sold off all my synthetics past 1K since I found a Guangxi that works remarkably. Now that's all I use and I am not alone. It sounds like you found some great stones. As was mentioned all natural stones vary so when you find a good one you have a diamond in the rough. Someday I will replace my 1K with a natural bevel setter.

have you thought about the European sandstone as a bevel setter?

Originally Posted by Blistersteel

have you thought about the European sandstone as a bevel setter?

Do you have a link? Always on the lookout