Originally Posted by
Ben325e
Here's a question: since typically harder stones have a finer girt rating (naniwa 10k not included), could it be that those who have these chinese 12k's that are pains to sharpen actually have a finer stone than those who have the softer ones?
I got one today and lapped it on various grits sandpaper on a granite reference slab that is dead flat, and it went pretty quickly for me. The finish is still great, but I can't help but wonder if the finish on the harder 12k's are better....
The blurb on woodcraft.com says the following:
Natural Polishing Water Stone
A dense, hard stone that's perfect for final polishing on all your carving tools, plane blades, chisels or any tool requiring a keen edge.
Extremely fine (12,000+) grit natural water stone quarried in the Guangxi province of China.
Because these natural polishing stones are cut by hand, dimensions may vary slightly.
Maybe the softer ones are 12000 or so, and the harder ones go even higher. This would explain why some use a coticule before the 12k, and some use one after the 12k. I'm sure that the grading of the coticule isn't that specific either, so that's also a factor....
Just a thought.
Ben