Thread: Hone of the Day

I would like some input from you wise, experienced honers. what does slate have to do in the great scheme of honing. I received a Ardennes Coticule
today. The other side is slate. I also have a travel board strop (Boker) that has slate bonded to the none leather side. I lapped the Coticule and the slate.
The slate is much harder than the Coticule. I was attempting to get a feel for the new stone. I did some test honing on a Russian razor, first on the Coticule
side which left a frosty bevel. That is what I expected from checking out this site often. Then I did some laps on the slate which left a more polished bevel.
Does anyone use slate as a final polish stone?

Originally Posted by Learner

I would like some input from you wise, experienced honers. what does slate have to do in the great scheme of honing. I received a Ardennes Coticule
today. The other side is slate. I also have a travel board strop (Boker) that has slate bonded to the none leather side. I lapped the Coticule and the slate.
The slate is much harder than the Coticule. I was attempting to get a feel for the new stone. I did some test honing on a Russian razor, first on the Coticule
side which left a frosty bevel. That is what I expected from checking out this site often. Then I did some laps on the slate which left a more polished bevel.
Does anyone use slate as a final polish stone?

The slate that backs your coticule is useless to hone on.
In general slate that is good for razors is a prefinisher in the 8k range. Some may be finer, but most folks move on to better options after they try them.

I also have a hard black Arkansas that I bought years ago. One can drag a razor over it all day and not experience much change.
I know Randy T thinks it is a waste. Other than the Coticule I have a Zulu Grey. It is slow but it will refine an edge.
Thanks for your response Mainaman.

Originally Posted by onimaru55

What is seen there there is a line of demarcation where the soft iron meets the hard steel but is not hamon created thru claying & quenching. Pic below is an example where the laminations meet. Not a temper line tho it looks a bit like it.

Iwasaki westerns made of one solid piece of tamahagane sometimes can be polished to reveal a hamon but it is near the spine where the thicker metal is rather than the edge, as on weapons or Honyaki knives. I suspect there may not have been a claying process there as originally they were polished as any other western razor.

Lamination line, thank you OZ. Would you recommend using a gentle etching type compound (clove oil, salt water) to help show patterns on the jigane? I have read this can damage the steel if not careful.
MIke

Originally Posted by MODINE

Lamination line, thank you OZ. Would you recommend using a gentle etching type compound (clove oil, salt water) to help show patterns on the jigane? I have read this can damage the steel if not careful.
MIke

No problema Mike.
On razors ? no need. The jigane is so soft on wa-kamisori that a good polish with wet n dri, I often stop at 800 or 1200 grit ,followed by fingerstone of choice, will give a nice haze. You will rarely see any grain pattern unless deliberately made that way. On the Iwasaki westerns there is no jigane so you could use an acid etch but the hamon can be hard to bring out by whatever means & sometimes is simply not there, depending on the razor.

I've used vinegar lemon &/0r FeCl on Chinatana. Doesn't damage if well neutralised at the end but the result is often closer to the damascus type finish rather than a kasumi finish tho a hamon if present will show up. Alloy banding will also be accentuated by acids.

First time using this small Pierre La Lune, Special Stone for Razors, wow, few strokes to refresh the edge and lots of leather later, a really superb, uber sharp edge, think the Nani 12k may go into retirement for awhile.

I have been keeping an eye out for a nice La Lune. If you are considering shelving the Nani 12k in place of it I may just pull the trigger on the next nice one I come across.

Originally Posted by BeJay

I have been keeping an eye out for a nice La Lune. If you are considering shelving the Nani 12k in place of it I may just pull the trigger on the next nice one I come across.

Stellar looking face of the stone...glitters, makes a nice slurry, going to have to do some more reading on it, but you don't need many laps....I found I had to go back to the strop to mellow it out a bit.

I know it sounds redundant, but you can really see how these pocket type hones could keep you shaving in style, Swaty, all the barber hones, they really do superb job...

I've got a little Thurigan that I use after the 12k. It too really keens a edge, which only gets taken to leather. What's the difference between the La Lune, and 12K.

Originally Posted by Phrank

First time using this small Pierre La Lune, Special Stone for Razors, wow, few strokes to refresh the edge and lots of leather later, a really superb, uber sharp edge, think the Nani 12k may go into retirement for awhile.

Stone - interesting
Razor - Amazing *drool*