Thread: Chinese 12k

I am planning to get one of Tony's pasted strops when they become available for maintaining my razor(s). However, I am getting interested in trying my hand at using a hone. I know, this may be a slippery slope, but I always did like sliding down b*tt first.

So I have been doing some reading, and figured a 12k (there is a Woodcraft not too far away) or a Spyderco ultrafine stone may be a relatively inexpensive but good was to start. My concern is lapping the 12k stone. It is inexpensive, but getting a DMT bench stone just to lap it (and likely never use again) seems impractical. Is there any other more practical way to do this? Is it feasible to lap the stone with just wet/dry sandpaper?

Originally Posted by RayG

I am planning to get one of Tony's pasted strops when they become available for maintaining my razor(s). However, I am getting interested in trying my hand at using a hone. I know, this may be a slippery slope, but I always did like sliding down b*tt first.

So I have been doing some reading, and figured a 12k (there is a Woodcraft not too far away) or a Spyderco ultrafine stone may be a relatively inexpensive but good was to start. My concern is lapping the 12k stone. It is inexpensive, but getting a DMT bench stone just to lap it (and likely never use again) seems impractical. Is there any other more practical way to do this? Is it feasible to lap the stone with just wet/dry sandpaper?

A lot of folks do lap with W/D paper. I've used it. I'll tell one thing. Back a lunch, you will be there a while.

The DMT D8C cuts comparatively fast and is also useful for knives or really big razor repairs/dings. The Chinese 12k and Spyderco UF are both super-hard.

You can lap with sand paper. It may take you as little as a few minute or as much as a few hours (damn black arkansas). My chinese 12k was pretty flat it took me a few minutes.
If you are able to go to wood craft in person to buy, take the stone out of the box and look at it for a second. It's not a big deal, but mine had chips in the sides that I had to sand out. They weren't really deep, but I wouldn't start honing with them.

I didn't find it too hard to lap. I have much worse hones that are almost impossible to lap 100% flat

The DMT D8C is an excellent choice and one of my most used hones. Besides lapping my other hones I use mine at least once a week for my kitchen knives. It is the best one I have found for that.

bj

I have used wet dry sand paper 600grit on a piece of glass to lap the 12K. It takes a little longer to to get this lapped because the stone is very hard, but once there it will serve you well