Thread: Jnats... best guide for getting started?

Nice looking stone, Ian. Good luck with it!

Originally Posted by onimaru55

If you figure the stone to be finer than a Swaty its obviously in the finishing class.
Should be used after 8k not 4k. You may just be trying to do too much with it. 250 laps seems excessive. My finisher is an Asagi & stays pretty wet during the final polish but that's only 30 or so strokes so not likely to dry out. I usually just wipe it off when finished. Also as a rule with J-Nats its wise to coat the base & sides with some kind of laquer if it isn't already ~ some stones tend to crack. I use an Atoma 1200 diamond plate to generate a light slurry ~ keeps the particle size uniform rather than using a Nagura stone which could mix coarser grit in with the slurry of a finishing stone.

Oz, I'm certainly no expert in the subject, but ercently I've been talking to several people about the lacquering issue because the stones I got from my barber weren't lacquered, and he used them for decades with no apparent ill effects.

Apparently, the advice about lacquer is for carpenters, who tend to work and sharpen outside--so if they leave their stones out in winter, the water that's seeped into the seams in the rock might freeze and crack the stones. All of the people here I've talked to have said there is no need to lacquer indoor stones, like barbers (and we) use.

Just something I've been picking up.