Thread: Chinese 12K versus my Swaty

Here is my quandry....

My honing progression takes me through a coticule, then 10-15 laps on the CrOx, stropping...

For touching up the edge I use a swaty with lather, 5 laps or so until the blade is back where I want it.

My issue is, will a Chinese 12K give a vast improvement?

I know a barber hone can be used for touch ups, Ron has stated many a time that he uses one on his gym razors. Clearly the edge left by such a hone is plenty sufficient to shave with.

If the edge off the 12K is better then the swaty, I feel like the swaty becomes useless to me, why would I touch up my razor on a lesser hone when I could just go straight to the 12K?

But....If the edge is not so much better, and the swaty can refine the edge off a coticule a bit, then shouldn't the swaty become my finishing hone, rather than just one used for touch ups?

(For the record, I've never actually went straight to the swaty after the coti. This is just conjecture. So far it's just been a touch up hone.)

I would prefer a finer hone(read escher) but the 12K has a very nice price point and I don't mind the extra laps needed. Though if my swaty can do just as good of a job, or atleast a close job, why bother.

All thoughts a criticisms welcome.

I suspect it would be better. Here is a thread with a lot of info on the Chinese 12K. Joed and Holli4pirating had a lot of praise for the results they got off of the 12K. I have one but I just haven't used it enough to write home about.

Well, I have em all, and I can tell you this. I like the Chinese 12k, but it's kinda got kicked to curb lately in lieu of the Naniwa 12k, which I love btw. A barber hone is really like a pre strop if you will, 3-5 passes just to keep your blade fresh. I don't think it'll replace the Chinese 12k since you have to do a minimum of 100 passes, unless you have a slurry. keep using your C12k, It does put a nice edge on your razor, I do like it, just takes to long, I can get a better edge of the Naniwa in 15 passes. Hit your blade on the Swaty 3-5 passes before each shave, it'll keep you from honing....FWIW, I use my Swaty dry...

Originally Posted by zib

FWIW, I use my Swaty dry...

The old barber I got mine from used his Swaty dry as well.

Originally Posted by zib

Well, I have em all, and I can tell you this. I like the Chinese 12k, but it's kinda got kicked to curb lately in lieu of the Naniwa 12k, which I love btw. A barber hone is really like a pre strop if you will, 3-5 passes just to keep your blade fresh. I don't think it'll replace the Chinese 12k since you have to do a minimum of 100 passes, unless you have a slurry. keep using your C12k, It does put a nice edge on your razor, I do like it, just takes to long, I can get a better edge of the Naniwa in 15 passes. Hit your blade on the Swaty 3-5 passes before each shave, it'll keep you from honing....FWIW, I use my Swaty dry...

100 passes... man, I just don't think I could
deal with that if there were a more effective
way to get as good an edge. The price jump
to the Naniwa 12k is just not that big.

- Scott

I was firm believer in the C12k, I do the slurry stones still, but as I said, it's just collecting dust. I may break it out one day, just for the heck of it, but the extra money you'll spend at SRD on a Naniwa superstone is well worth it,
IMHO....

Where do you guys get the naniwa's? The 12K's I see cost about $50 more than the Chinese 12K, I'll do the extra laps to save that much.

@ Zib: I don't currently have the Chinese 12K, I'm debating on getting one.

I'll try the swaty dry, I had been using lather and I hate to have to make the lather, hone, rinse, dry, and then strop. Going from hone to strop is much more convenient. Thanks!

No problem, I think one of my old Barber hones in the original box said you can use it dry, and I have been ever since. The Naniwa's are availalbe at SRD, Don and Lynn's place. I like my Naniwa 12k so much, I bought the whole set of them. Some of the other restorer's are starting to use them as well....If you don't mind the extra lapps, I like the edge I get off the Chinese 12k, it's a great, natural, affordable hone...A little "dirty" but still a good hone....

So in looking around I noticed the thuringians for sale at timber tools.

How do the stones sold there compare to the Chinese 12K and Naniwa's

I know the eschers are just branded thruringians, but how does the stock over at timber tools compare?

Ok guys, I bit the bullet and grabbed the Chinese 12K from woodcraft. I grabbed the DMT6 Extra Course while I was there.

Thanks guys.

Worst case I have another hone for my collection and you can't have too many of those.