Thread: Hone of the Day

New arrival did not disappoint. Possiby the best stone I've ever used. First one that came with a box too.

Shobu Tomae? Iromono?

Originally Posted by Aerdvaark

Shobu Tomae?

Its a maruka stamped stone, so I'm assuming nakayama. Not sure what layer it's from but it's an iromono kiita. Feels like a slab of marble.

I bet it's a speed demon...

Originally Posted by Aerdvaark

I bet it's a speed demon...

The initial test was done with 2 shave ready razors. Next test will be testing a razor that's only had a 1k bevel set.

I honed up the iwasaki tamahagane razor that's being sent out today. I started with a fresh bevel, went to the Ohira suita, nakayama kiita, then finally finished with a full tomo progression on the maruka iromono. This razor took the best edge I've ever achieved. Denvernoob, you are in for an amazing shave!

Honed a pair of 13/16 Cape 1000s scaled by Alfredo (Doc226) in Lava Flow Kirinite. Bevel set with a Shapton Pro 2k on one and 5k on the other, then 8k, koma and tomo nagura followed by 20 circles and 20 x-strokes on clear water.

The stone is fairly new to me, no markings and not much skin though it does have a date and I assume either a name or initials scratched into the back. The date is 1959.1.26, which if Showa would be January 26, 1985. It's hard but not super hard, dense, and not quite where I want to be on slurry (though it shaves smoothly), but it's also silly smooth so during testing, clear water strokes got me where I want to go. I have high hopes for it because like many of my best stones, it looks like mud!

Cheers, Steve

I just got this Wester Bros razor and since I don't have any synthetic hones I was worried the Arkenstones wouldn't cut the "Manganese" steel. No worries-No problem. The Washita with a slurry set the bevel in no time flat and then I cleaned up the Washita And with just plain hone oil smoothed everything out. Soft>Hard>Surgical Black and it was ready to go. Shaved with it and I forgot how good a shave can be. (Thanks scouthikerdad). Very smooth, close, irritation free shave. Perfect 10/10!

(If you look close you can see the Hard Arkansas is slightly translucent on one end. Never noticed that until this picture.)

A nice slow leisurely start to Monday a nice old Wade & Butcher wedge 2 layers of tape set a nice looking bevel finished on the SG 20K should deliver a fine shave for the new owner.

Originally Posted by Aerdvaark

This one gets hone of the month from me. Anyone ever tried putting a shaving edge on one of these? The blade is some kind of alien grade steel of some kind. Oh, the gymnastics I had to perform to get this one mostly ready!
Still needs some work at the toe. With tape, without, I tried everything to get this one sticky on my thumb at N 1k. Sheesh!!!
I'm just now taking it to my Mad Suita, or as I call it, coticule of steroids times 10.



I just have to say, I had some reservations about trying to shave with this thing after the hell it put me through trying to get it shave ready, I have to say, I'm very very impressed with this big monster of a straight razor. It's a little heavy and thin where you hold it but it cuts with the best of them all day long. She even sliced a small piece of my chin off. So we could get acquainted I guess...lol! I like them because their different and you can take them apart, I love things you can take apart. The little inset brass screw on mine I stripped though trying to take it apart, sure it will be easy to fix though. I can see the edge staying on this forever for as long as it took me to get it there..

Those are beautiful frame backed razors, and that Lecoutre could very well be one of his "Infernal Tempre", many of those one have patterned steel and say are a Damascus type steel, or they just put a pretty pattern on the blade to make it look that way. The one's I've honed, sometimes never seem to grip on your thumb pad they way you'd expect, but are nonetheless stellar razors IME...and that is a nice one, beautiful Swiss frameback.