Thread: Calling All PHIG Users!

I'm having a really hard time with my PHIG. Doesn't make any sense. I never thought another stone would give me more fits than my coticule, but this guy takes the cake!

The bevel is set, the razor caught a nice HHT 3-4 off my coticule yesterday. Shaved very very well. Outstanding. Today, I figured I would try my PHIG that hasn't been so good to me.

I've tried, to date:

slurry, no slurry, diluting quickly, diluting slowly, pressure, no pressure, torque, experiencing TONS of suction, experiencing no suction.

The HHT is ALWAYS ruined with this stone, and I'm not sure If I want to shave with this edge. I've read this stone can pop hairs the way it puts an edge on a razor. What am I not doing? Is my stone a bad one? It seems that way thus far, but I hate to think so.

Also—my arm hairs are so thin I never got the popping hair sensation—but on a boar hair it wouldn't pop. That's a problem for me.

You guys have any suggestions? Tips?

There are just too many variances in those stones. Its not like owning a thuringian Stone where nearly every stone delivers a comparable performance....

I never got warm with my PHIGS, i own a very hard one and a much more softer one. None of those yielded results i normally prefer, so these are actually waiting in my collection without beeing used.

But i also know there are better variants of those stones around. And many users being satisfied with those stones.

Did you try also finishing with plain water?

Another try could be doing some laps on the linen strop then return to go on the stone with plain water. Then strop again....

PICS:

the razor.


the stone



I will kill the edge, re-do on a coticule, and hit the CNAT with just water.

Try using the PHIG just like you would an Arkie

Using either a drop of soap with water on the top or perhaps Smith's Honing solution

There is a thread called " http://straightrazorpalace.com/hones...nese-hone.html " from way back that explains all this you might want to read to pick up even more hoints

This is just my opinion...

For anyone else reading this, if you want a better chance at getting a better Chinese hone, buy one from Woodcraft instead of ebay.

Agree I love the one I got from Woodcraft. Put a popping endge on any razor I have tried. My most used stone over the past couple years.

I dulled the edge — redid the razor on a coti. Same result. Very nice edge.

Went to water on the Phig, no pressure, no dilutions. Nothing. Nada. Zilch.

Even the Black arkie couldn't bring it back. It's like the stone is a 1-5k or something.

I'm going to try Glen's suggestion next and post my results.

If that doesn't work, I'll check out woodcraft or retire the stone for a while. Worked for the others!

am i the only one to get a bad wood craft PHIG?

Probably not, but I think the odds of a bad one are greater on ebay.

Originally Posted by Utopian

Probably not, but I think the odds of a bad one are greater on ebay.

when you say "bad one" what do you mean exactly? Just curious? Do I potentially have a stone that dulls my edge? Seems like it...

I should really just shave and see what happens. I'm basing the entire performance of a stone off the HHT. I did find it strange it diminished the coticule's result. That's really what threw me off.