Thread: Hard wool

I have a 12k for a finisher and I was wondering if the hard wool with .25 micron paste would help any. I understand that this is a your miliage will vary thing but I was wondering what all you thought about using this. I look forward to your responses. Thank you.

If your getting great shaves off your 12k then pastes and sprays can refine your edge depending on the quality of them. They can also be used to maintain your edge. As you say YMMV, I use a diamond spray and Cro Ox paddle now and again and quite enjoy the shaves off them.

One of the things that I feel is that too much 12K makes for a prickly edge. Try less 12K and I strop a lot after honing. Some guys progressively strop. I have a treated strop that is fast to treat an edge and get a smooth, but hate mentioning it on the forum because some people get all crazy about lead is poisonous. I also have a felt strop treated with cerium oxide that makes for a super smoooooth shave.

As said YMMV. I use a Naniwa 12K as a finisher, followed by linen and leather stropping and finally some laps on a hanging felt strop sprayed with Crox. Yes, the blade is wiped down to remove any Crox remaining on it before shaving. Makes for a nice smooth comfortable edge for me. I do the Crox last after the linen and leather stropping aligns and burnishes the edge that the 12K leaves. To me it makes more sense to do the Crox last rather than before the regular stropping. Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it because it seems to be working.

Bob

I love the 12k, but find it prickly as well. After the 12k I do 3 light travels on a CrOx strop, wipe the blade clean, and the strop as normal. It makes a perfect edge for me.

Originally Posted by criswilson10

I love the 12k, but find it prickly as well. After the 12k I do 3 light travels on a CrOx strop, wipe the blade clean, and the strop as normal. It makes a perfect edge for me.

Me, too. But I gotta try BobH's method and see what the difference is. Sounds interesting.

Like some of the other posters, I do not like the edge off my Naniwa 12K. It is keen but not smooth. Sprays and pastes will help with the smoothness.

The conventional wisdom is to use hard wool felt for sprays such as diamond or CBN. For pastes, use media such as balsa, basswood, leather, and nanocloth or linen. You can apply pastes to felt, but a lot will be wasted as it migrates down into the structure of the felt rather than remaining on the surface where it will do some good.