Thread: Hone of the Day

I've been trying out all the stones in my arsenal on my snail forge custom razor from bruno. When I etched the blade to reveal the differential heat treatment, I did not protect the edge. As a result, microchipping plagued me for a long time. After getting that issue fixed, I started with the gokumyo 20k. Shaves were good, very smooth, nothing to complain about at all. Next up was the escher. Much smoother shave, but didn't have that crisp sharpness like it had on the 20k. Then the nakayama. I must have done something horribly wrong because that shave sucked! I think I tapped the side of the hone or something, because I just honed it on the coticule and there is a very small ding on the edge, and I know it wasn't from this honing session and remember feeling a particle scratch when on the nakayama. I think I'm going to shave with it anyway.

Ok so my main question is what are your preferred methods for finishing on the jnat? I've tried water only after a koma and tomo slurry, and haven't been impressed by that. Thanks for any input, and enjoy the pics

Originally Posted by prodigy

Ok so my main question is what are your preferred methods for finishing on the jnat? I've tried water only after a koma and tomo slurry, and haven't been impressed by that.

If you look at just the last 2 posts above you will notice that the J=nats still have slurry on them

There are no rules set in stone (pun intended) but most people tend to want the J-nat slurry to break down and finish on that, some of us go so far as to leave that slurry intact on the surface of the hone so we start with slurry that is already partially broken down

Try it out a few ways on a few razors and see what works out

I usually finish on thin tomo slurry. If I do water only, I'm typically trying to boost the keeness a little.

Cheers, Steve

Ok so I don't want to derail this thread but I'm in a bit of a panic attack right now. The jnat in my previous pics is relatively new. I bought it a while back, and tested out a couple of already shave ready razors on it, and got very good edges. Then, due being a college student seeking a double major, I haven't touched in several weeks if not a couple of months. This week I've been off from school, and honed that bruno blade to much a dissapointing shave. It turns out that this stone has what I believe to be a toxic wire. When honing through a full progression of nagura, the wire becomes noticeable to both the touch of a finger, the nagura, and the blade. I feel really stupid I didn't put two and two together sooner, and I'm really hoping the seller is able to help me work something out. Here's a picture of the wire...

So you first had good results with this rock and all of a sudden a toxic wire appears on your hone?

Originally Posted by Kees

So you first had good results with this rock and all of a sudden a toxic wire appears on your hone?

No, it was there the whole time. When I first got it, I didn't think it was toxic 1) it's a reputable seller and it wasn't mentioned as being toxic in the description and 2) the first few razors I honed on it were already shave ready. So when I honed those it was with very light pressure and after lapping. It didn't affect honing under those conditions. It's only become noticeable after I go from the 1k to a full nagura progression. The naguras and the honing action releases slurry around the wire, thus making it noticeable. Does that make sense, I'm trying to explain it the best I can?

You made it perfectly clear to me. I am no toxic wire expert but my guess it that the material in the vein is softer or harder than the rock and due to the use of the naguras you have either exposed the harder material or created a narrow depression in the stone that catches the edge everytime the blade crosses it.
If you got it from a reputable seller he will sort you out.

Originally Posted by prodigy

Ok so I don't want to derail this thread but I'm in a bit of a panic attack right now. The jnat in my previous pics is relatively new. I bought it a while back, and tested out a couple of already shave ready razors on it, and got very good edges. Then, due being a college student seeking a double major, I haven't touched in several weeks if not a couple of months. This week I've been off from school, and honed that bruno blade to much a dissapointing shave. It turns out that this stone has what I believe to be a toxic wire. When honing through a full progression of nagura, the wire becomes noticeable to both the touch of a finger, the nagura, and the blade. I feel really stupid I didn't put two and two together sooner, and I'm really hoping the seller is able to help me work something out. Here's a picture of the wire...

That is a toxic wire. Likely you did not lap the stone when you received it or not by much? What is common practice for the informed *owner* of a hone they knowingly bought with a toxic inclusion to do, is to 'engrave'. There are a lot of ways to do this, with a tomo, a piece of steel etc running along the toxic line to make it wear slightly lower than the rest of the stone. Or digging out with a needle. My preferred method is to use a dremel and a diamond bit or diamond disc and a wash bottle feeding the head with a stream of water. None of this is any bearing though, because if the seller is worth their salt they'll take back a stone with a toxic wire they sold for razors.

Kees may not be an expert, but he is 100% right that this is by definition a toxic wire. If it's harder than the stone, it's toxic.

On a (hopefully) less upsetting note: what's your double major?

Yess look toxic - take a DE blade or a sharp needle or whatever you have and scratch it out - that will work

Originally Posted by MikeB52

I need to replace my king 1k I think. Just seems to take forever to get to a good bevel with it..
Was thinking either Naniwa or Chosera..I can't see me stopping with the ebay dogs anytime soon..

Just for the sake of clariy...
Chosera IS a Naniwa. Naniwa has several lines of hone and Chosera (now Professional) is just one of them.