Originally Posted by
Smokintbird
???? lead ???? I'd be real interested to hear more about using lead....besides I might be able to come up with another metal to use instead of the lead if it is a good way to go....maybe magnesium or aluminum or something.
I have worked a bit with the real Lignum Vitae, and I do not think this will work very well....The wood has almost a waxy feel, but will bruise (compress and harden) relatively easy, although once bruised that area is harder and will wear nice and slow......The problem that this would cause is that the razor would most likely scrape away a bit of the wood with each pass, or dig in and chip the edge, unless you bruised the whole surface...but unless you have a good flat plate and hydraulic press to do this evenly, it will be too uneven to be useful.
Personally, since I do not have a really nice finishing hone yet...Once I have the bevel, I use a Tam O'Shanter to polish the edge as well as I can, and then I sprinkle Linde A compound onto the wet hone....I use the hone normally although with this artificial slurry and it gives me a nicely shavable edge that is much finer than the Tam O'Shanter but not as fine as the polish from my paddle with just Linde A compound.
It seems to work nicely for me at any rate... :)
edit - BTW, for those that do not know, Linde A compound is 0.3 micron Aluminum Oxide powder.