Thread: Hone of the Day

I recently purchased this Sheaf Works- W. Greaves razor for about $13 and restored it and honed it. I set the bevel on a Washita stone and then went to a soft Arkansas for about 60 strokes. I jumped straight to my Surgical Black and progressed from plain water to ballistol oil (similar but backwards to using mud) and finished off with a couple hundred X strokes.

I just shaved and it was a remarkable shave. Wonderful steel.

Brought this one back into service yesterday with a quick clean up, and a set of used scales. Then a skip across the 1000 Chosera, some time on a Washita, finishing on a Coti.

From there it went to a Cr/ox pasted strop for 20 passes, leaded linen, Red Latigo, Bridle, and finished w/100 on Roo.

Took a single WTG pass for a test shave, no prep just wet, lather, and test.
Very smooth I may add, but a full shave is needed, morning shall hold the truth, but being a Boker, I'll need not.[emoji56]

The hone gods have smiled on me lately, and over the course of three days I found these hones locally, and dirt cheap. In each case I didn't know exactly what I had until I brought them home and cleaned them up. The coticule and the thuringian I bought as part of a box of dirty hones out of someone's garage and the Tam-O-Shanter and Water of Ayr I found at an antiques market two days later just sitting together in a coffee can on one of the tables.


I just got the chance to try them out tonight on a Wade & Butcher that had been tugging lately. I lightly killed the edge and set a new bevel on the coti with slurry, diluting as I progressed. I could tell that the coticule is going to be an excellent finisher and was tempted to go the distance. This one feels really great!

But before I went to far on the coti I switched to the Tam with straight water. It was my first time using a Tam-o-Shanter. I found that I either needed to go a little further on the coti with slurry, or slurry the Tam, so I slurried the Tam for a while then diluted.

Then I tried out the Water of Ayr (first time for this type of hone too). I instantly fell in love with the silky feedback. I stayed on that for a while and I could have had a wonderful shave finishing there I think. But I wanted to bring the thuri into it so I spent a little while on that stone with a very light slurry, then clear.

I couldn't wait until the morning so I just had a go with it and am very pleased! A nice comfortable, close shave without irritation, a great feel to the edge. I will do more experiments with these hones in the coming days. I want to feel the shave off the coticule (what a terrific feel this one has!) and also straight off the Water of Ayr. Happy honing, gentlemen!

Originally Posted by xiaotuzi

The hone gods have smiled on me lately, and over the course of three days I found these hones locally, and dirt cheap. In each case I didn't know exactly what I had until I brought them home and cleaned them up. The coticule and the thuringian I bought as part of a box of dirty hones out of someone's garage and the Tam-O-Shanter and Water of Ayr I found at an antiques market two days later just sitting together in a coffee can on one of the tables.


I just got the chance to try them out tonight on a Wade & Butcher that had been tugging lately. I lightly killed the edge and set a new bevel on the coti with slurry, diluting as I progressed. I could tell that the coticule is going to be an excellent finisher and was tempted to go the distance. This one feels really great!

But before I went to far on the coti I switched to the Tam with straight water. It was my first time using a Tam-o-Shanter. I found that I either needed to go a little further on the coti with slurry, or slurry the Tam, so I slurried the Tam for a while then diluted.

Then I tried out the Water of Ayr (first time for this type of hone too). I instantly fell in love with the silky feedback. I stayed on that for a while and I could have had a wonderful shave finishing there I think. But I wanted to bring the thuri into it so I spent a little while on that stone with a very light slurry, then clear.

I couldn't wait until the morning so I just had a go with it and am very pleased! A nice comfortable, close shave without irritation, a great feel to the edge. I will do more experiments with these hones in the coming days. I want to feel the shave off the coticule (what a terrific feel this one has!) and also straight off the Water of Ayr. Happy honing, gentlemen!

Made my mouth water

Originally Posted by xiaotuzi

The hone gods have smiled on me lately, and over the course of three days I found these hones locally, and dirt cheap. In each case I didn't know exactly what I had until I brought them home and cleaned them up. The coticule and the thuringian I bought as part of a box of dirty hones out of someone's garage and the Tam-O-Shanter and Water of Ayr I found at an antiques market two days later just sitting together in a coffee can on one of the tables.


I just got the chance to try them out tonight on a Wade & Butcher that had been tugging lately. I lightly killed the edge and set a new bevel on the coti with slurry, diluting as I progressed. I could tell that the coticule is going to be an excellent finisher and was tempted to go the distance. This one feels really great!

But before I went to far on the coti I switched to the Tam with straight water. It was my first time using a Tam-o-Shanter. I found that I either needed to go a little further on the coti with slurry, or slurry the Tam, so I slurried the Tam for a while then diluted.

Then I tried out the Water of Ayr (first time for this type of hone too). I instantly fell in love with the silky feedback. I stayed on that for a while and I could have had a wonderful shave finishing there I think. But I wanted to bring the thuri into it so I spent a little while on that stone with a very light slurry, then clear.

I couldn't wait until the morning so I just had a go with it and am very pleased! A nice comfortable, close shave without irritation, a great feel to the edge. I will do more experiments with these hones in the coming days. I want to feel the shave off the coticule (what a terrific feel this one has!) and also straight off the Water of Ayr. Happy honing, gentlemen!

Try finishing on the WoA

After a Nani 12k, or some higher grit finisher, finish on the WoA...I think the stone is one of the nicest out there. For me, was a very light, crisp, uber smooth shave, with a strong hint of the Escher "mellow" in it if I could make the comparison.

I've also gone ToS then WoA and also had great results.....congrats on some great finds.

I can see the "rivers" on the WoA, total giveaway for a WoA....awesome find.

Originally Posted by Phrank

Try finishing on the WoA

After a Nani 12k, or some higher grit finisher, finish on the WoA...I think the stone is one of the nicest out there. For me, was a very light, crisp, uber smooth shave, with a strong hint of the Escher "mellow" in it if I could make the comparison.

I've also gone ToS then WoA and also had great results.....congrats on some great finds.

I can see the "rivers" on the WoA, total giveaway for a WoA....awesome find.

I'll do that for sure! These are going to keep me good and busy for a while, so much fun to learn. When I found these they were all so dirty I couldn't see any identifying features, except I could tell what the coti was. I started cleaning and lapping and certainly didn't expect to discover a ToS and a WoA! I never though I would actually ever own either of them. Giddy!!!

Originally Posted by xiaotuzi

I'll do that for sure! These are going to keep me good and busy for a while, so much fun to learn. When I found these they were all so dirty I couldn't see any identifying features, except I could tell what the coti was. I started cleaning and lapping and certainly didn't expect to discover a ToS and a WoA! I never though I would actually ever own either of them. Giddy!!!

I understand as Jimmy says, the "snakeskin" ToS are around, you can order them I believe from a UK seller...the WoA on the other hand, I understand to extremely difficult to find....I've only experimented with mine on a few razors, so will be very interested to hear what your experience is with the WoA.

Originally Posted by xiaotuzi

The hone gods have smiled on me lately, and over the course of three days I found these hones locally, and dirt cheap. In each case I didn't know exactly what I had until I brought them home and cleaned them up. The coticule and the thuringian I bought as part of a box of dirty hones out of someone's garage and the Tam-O-Shanter and Water of Ayr I found at an antiques market two days later just sitting together in a coffee can on one of the tables.

Some guys have all the luck.

Touch up on this Portland Razor Co. Hydra. This C-Mon hone really took the edge to the next level after a Norton 8k.

I did some honing tonight, two touch ups and two full progresss. I'm still a rookie, but am finally getting some nice edges. I'm doing Naniwa 1k, Norton 4K/8K, Naniwa 12K and think I'll stay that way for a while. I'm trying to avoid the stone rabbit hole[emoji3]