Thread: Share cost for a top Japanese stone?

The Japanese stones come in many types according to grit and then within each type there can be up to ten or more grades so you need to know the type of stone and the grade within that type before you buy. Most of the top japanese stones are clay based and very soft unlike coticules or echers and therefore quite fragile. If you are going to get it sawed you need a real pro to do it to avoid damage. I have a finishing stone I got a few months ago. They will put a real polish on a razor, more so than a coticule but I don't think that translates into a better shave. The one I have comes from Iwasaki's private quarry, long defunct. Just make sure it isn't a stone meant mostly for sword honing.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

The Japanese stones come in many types according to grit and then within each type there can be up to ten or more grades so you need to know the type of stone and the grade within that type before you buy. Most of the top japanese stones are clay based and very soft unlike coticules or echers and therefore quite fragile. If you are going to get it sawed you need a real pro to do it to avoid damage. I have a finishing stone I got a few months ago. They will put a real polish on a razor, more so than a coticule but I don't think that translates into a better shave. The one I have comes from Iwasaki's private quarry, long defunct. Just make sure it isn't a stone meant mostly for sword honing.

Thank you for the advice!

This is interesting, I was reading your previous posts about the package from Japan too

Is your stone a Honyama? Is it soft (compared to a Coticule?) Because the Japanese people recommend a hard stone for finishing razors. This may seem weird, because we here think that the Y/G Escher is a softer stone and the best for a finisher. On the other hand, people find a 30K Shapton will give the ultimate in edge sharpness. I am sure it is a very hard hone...

I hear that the top finishers are very hard. There are also stones that are soft and still considered top grade - but I think not used for finish, from what I understand

Food for thought and experimentation, I guess

Cheers
Ivo

Hard is a bit of a relative term, I think, when dealing with hones. Some of the Japanese ones are quite hard but stones all have a different feel which sometimes doesn't relate exactly to how hard they are.
Some are absolutely perfect for one type of steel at a certain hrc but not much use at all with another. This is what makes them an absolute nightmare to buy mail order if you intend to use them for one thing. I like all kinds of bladed instrument and all different sorts of steel so I don't care so much if a hone isn't perfect for these razors because it might be very good for this AS plane or that deba.

So will try to steer you right and I'm sure he'll take the stone back if it isn't perfect for you. It might be a good idea to ask Ron, who mentioned So, to try any stone you intend to buy first as it seems he's in the area and it would at least give you an idea of the suitability for western carbon steel razors.

Ivo, I am interested but since I have 2 Honyama Awase Toishi stones in my collection already from:

http://www.hidatool.com/woodpage/stone/polishing.html

I would like to purchase a share in a really rare and top grade stone. The 2 that I have are excellent but I'm always open to improve. Although, as most people on this board know, I am ready to shell out cash for something I want, I'm not ready to buy even a share in a $100,000.00 stone!

I don't know Rich we could each have a gram or two.

Sean

Murph, God only knows what I might accidentally cut off if I tried to hone with something so small!!!