setting a bevel on a 12K Chinese
I bought a 12K stone a few months ago. It's the only hone I have. Walking in my neighborhood I saw a bricklayer with a water cooled brick saw and got him to cut 3/8" off the end for a slurry stone. Then I lapped both sides. Took forever and used a bunch of sandpaper. Ended up with a really beautiful hone, all sharp edges just slightly rounded. When it came to using the slurry stone I found that a square inch of 2K wet/dry sandpaper works quicker than using the stone. I've only got 3 razors. A Bolta 4/8, a Friodur 9/16 and a Heljestrand 11/16. All are mint. The Bolta and the Friodur took just a few laps to get super sharp. I got the Bolta in 1972 and haven't used it since 1973. It was dull when I oiled and put it away. I just got the Friodur recently and it came factory honed. The Heljestrand was from ebay, never honed and had a tiny bevel. I couldn't understand that. Still in the box, no sign of use. Surely it can't have come from the factory like that? Anyway I set out to try and put a bevel on it with the 12K. I honed that sucker until I was blue in the face. That is the hardest steel I've ever come across. I would think that it wouldn't take much to shatter that blade. Finally this evening I got it popping hairs. I'll give it a few hundred laps on a strop and see how it shaves. If it's not good I'll send it to a honemeister. Life's too short.
GK