Thread: My favorite hone and a question

Keaton,
How are you trying to lap it? I have one I have not used (I have one of everything Tilly sells as I am a pushover for a sweet lady <g>).

I lap the Belgians and other stones on wet or dry sand paper laid on a granite surface plate ($39 at Woodcraft). I can use diferent grits or paper depending on how much material I need to remove.

Tony

Lapping with 400, 800, 1000, 2000 on flat countertop in a figure 8. When I get a really thick slurry I wash it off and start again. I've almost gone through about half the stone and the colors have come together a bit but not significatly. I just think the middle had a really high spot in it and the edges are low.

Keaton,

Umm, by "half the stone" you don't mean half the thickness???

The Lithide should be close to flat to start with but most barber hones I have seem a little high right in the middle and again right on the outer edges.

I always use a coarse paper, maybe 400 and lap keeping the stone absolutely flat until the entire surface is showing scratches from the 400 grit. That is then flat, go to something a little finer to remove the scratches. Until the surface if level there is no point if going to finer paper.

Tony

Tony,

Yes I mean almost half the thickness. The center shows the scratches but the outsides really don't. One of the edges is coming in but that is about it. I started with the 2000 but wasn't really getting anywhere so I went with 400. Still really didn't get anywhere so now it is sitting on my kitchen table just stareing at me waiting till I get unfrustrated with it and try again.

Keaton

Well, here's my lapping experience with barber hones... I got both Itsapeech and Lithide hones from Tilly. Started lapping on 800 (or 1000?) and the Lithide laped fine, leaving thick black slurry on the sandpaper. I went quickly trough the initial surface, created matte, not glass like surface, and decided it's time to change to finer grit. The feeling on the sandpaper was like I'm taking off material fast, so I stopped lapping and decided I don't need the glass like smooth on the Lithide. Taking it off the sandpaper, it created such suction, it slipped off my hand and meet with floor tiles...
The Itsapeech was diferent story. The feeling on the sandpaper was like I am laping with acrylic hone on glass surface. Nothing. I lapped and lapped and... And I didn't managed to take the initial surface even after couple of hours on the 800. No slurry either. Then I decided to rough tings a bit. Slapped some 320, put large amount of force on the hone, and started doing 8-ts... This time it was a lot better, the material was sanding away, and I progressed with 400, 600, 800 and 1000 in 2-3 hours. After lot's of elbow greese and weared sandpaper, I am satisfied with the result. Not mirror finish, but quite smooth, and I know it could be better, but I don't have access to finer grit. Also, I don't know if Itsapeech is improving my N8K edges...

Nenad

Keaton,
To me it sounds like the hone must be rolling a little as you lap so you are never going to get a flat surface. Lapping is one of those things that needs to be visualized as you go. You are sliding the stone end to end,side to side, circles, figure 8's, whatever but the entire time you are thinking the stone is moving in a perfectly flat plane otherwise it rolls ever so slightly and creates a convex surface instead. Hours later you have half a stone just as convex as you started.

I always start by laying a steel straight edge along the stone first and sighting along it against a bright light. That lets you see what is high, what is low and by how much. I don't recall any of the hones I got from Tilly being more than 1/32" from flat. If that much of an eror I would go right to 400 grit at the finest and work till flat. Then maybe an 800 and done.

Tony

Well I got my Lithide and I found it to be an excellent finishing hone. I may even use it from now on. Lapping was a breeze, I used a Swaty to lap it and it performs perfectly. I think this hone alone will get my razors far sharper than I'll ever need.

Alan,

Good to hear you're enjoying that Lithide. It's one fine hone indeed. I've also got a "mini-me" Lithide hone that I keep in my wet kit when traveling. It's so small it will make you laugh, but it works great.

Hal