Thread: Water Quality

Originally Posted by Johntoad57

Don't know anything about water quality but maybe that's why I can produce such extraordinary edges just using two stones (1K, 6K) and tap water. The water is very hard here in San Antonio. Maybe the limestone or the chemicals they use to treat the water adds a little extra grit as I hone the razors. Couldn't tell you. All I know is that it produces an edge that is smooth, straight and sharp just like the ones that experienced honers produce using many progressions of hones on. The stones, linen (CrOx) and leather is all I use. It has to be the water, I'm just not that experienced or good!

Now Marine,, you telling us that the tap water in San Antonio has some added "grit" in it, creating an improvement over a 6K stone?

Is this gritty water coming straight from the Alamo or is it ordinary city water? We need to know.

Grit in the water is no laughing matter.

If the screens in your faucets clog up, I would be very leery of that water for honing or sanding.

When we moved in three years ago, the commode tanks had about 3/4 inch of sand. A softener solved the problem.

I agree,, gritty water is a problem.

Is it already April 1st???

Just gotta have fun with this one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqKHqWaTv9g&autoplay=1

Originally Posted by rolodave

Grit in the water is no laughing matter.

If the screens in your faucets clog up, I would be very leery of that water for honing or sanding.

When we moved in three years ago, the commode tanks had about 3/4 inch of sand. A softener solved the problem.

Just to be safe Dave, I'm going to push all my honing water through a Brita filter. I have one attached to my kitchen sink already. All our drinking water at home is pushed through the Brita for particles & treated with UV light for sanitation.

I'm not worried about my PHIG, its Chinese and tough but I don't want crappy water on my Coticule.

Originally Posted by Johntoad57

Don't know anything about water quality but maybe that's why I can produce such extraordinary edges just using two stones (1K, 6K) and tap water. The water is very hard here in San Antonio. Maybe the limestone or the chemicals they use to treat the water adds a little extra grit as I hone the razors. Couldn't tell you. All I know is that it produces an edge that is smooth, straight and sharp just like the ones that experienced honers produce using many progressions of hones on. The stones, linen (CrOx) and leather is all I use. It has to be the water, I'm just not that experienced or good!

I too will say that it may be your skill as honer rather than the water here. I've had nice edges using a similar method with a 1k/6k combo and a 1.2k/8k combo, the former followed by red ferric oxide on sanded vegetable-tanned leather. All power to you for using a simple set-up!

John - I kid you not. It's the damnedest thing that I have ever seen. Ordinary tap water. I got a couple of blades from Outback that were honed professionally by him and I used them as a benchmark. I don't know why or how but the blades that I honed were as crisp and sharp as the ones that he honed. Weird huh? Don't care I'll take what I can get. Impeccable shavers. I have been trying to get edges like this for a year now. Maybe they changes the chemicals in the water - like I said damnedest thing

Originally Posted by Hirlau

Now Marine,, you telling us that the tap water in San Antonio has some added "grit" in it, creating an improvement over a 6K stone?

Is this gritty water coming straight from the Alamo or is it ordinary city water? We need to know.

I have read this thread with interest but have refrained from posting until today.

At work we have this "new" guy that seems to know it all and wanted to spend a lot of money to repair drinking fountains. If you push the button the water would hit you in the nose.....

It is a 2 second repair by using your pocket screwdriver to ream the bubbler/nozzle out!

Calcium build up.

Calcium is 1.7 on the Mohs scale. Chromium oxide for comparison is 8-8.5. lead is 1.5.

My mind wanders! Calcium build up on a strop could arguably make a difference. On a hone I doubt it.

Originally Posted by 32t

I have read this thread with interest but have refrained from posting until today.

At work we have this "new" guy that seems to know it all and wanted to spend a lot of money to repair drinking fountains. If you push the button the water would hit you in the nose.....

It is a 2 second repair by using your pocket screwdriver to ream the bubbler/nozzle out!

Calcium build up.

Calcium is 1.7 on the Mohs scale. Chromium oxide for comparison is 8-8.5. lead is 1.5.

My mind wanders! Calcium build up on a strop could arguably make a difference. On a hone I doubt it.

This causes me to recall that a calcium carbonate-based cleanser like Bon Ami is sometimes counseled for refreshing the surface of ceramic hones. So if it is refreshing the surface there, I suppose it is potentially capable of effecting change in other ways.

Yeah, maybe it would be interesting to try to charge a strop with calcium carbonate. Perhaps it is the one of the active/inactive ingredients in the supposedly innocuous Solingen white paste?