Thread: Chinese 12k leaves edge dull?

Originally Posted by wojtek

It's nearly flat with slight curve in the middle. [...] Is 1000g sandpaper enugh for that type of stone?

1000 grit is enough to finish the stone, but if you can actually see or feel that it isn't flat, you should start with more aggressive paper to save time/paper/elbows.


On the other hand...

Originally Posted by wojtek

I could sometimes feel like if the hone was "catching" the razor, the passes weren't smooth.

I can get the same from my Chinese stone when the razor isn't quite ready for it. Dropping back down to 8k for a bit often fixes it.

I am a defender (or inventor? I don't really know.) of the theory that the PHIG performs best (if at all) when lapped to perfection.

I came across this about three years ago when I bought my first PHIG and everybody was raving how good or bad it was.
I didn´t get good results with it until I finished the surface. When you slide your fingernail across the stone and you feel a little unsmoothness,
you´re not where you want to be with the PHIG. It should feel as smooth as glass.

I recommend to lapp the stone thoroughly. This will take time, energy and a lot of sandpaper, because these will wear out quickly.
Get 240, 320, 400, 600 and your 1000. That should be good for the start.
First step is to make it flat.
The second step is to erase all scratches and high spots from the prevoius papers on the sandpaper.

Now for a reason I do not know coming from a 1k sandpaper the stone still does not shine or feel as smooth as glass.
That´s where I take out my old BBW (credit card size) and run it across the PHIG for hours (literally).

This can be done by other hard and fine naturals, too I guess. You want the PHIG to be like a mirror and feel like marble.
Then it performs at its best. This has worked for me twice now and seems to work for others as well

Originally Posted by wojtek

It came pre-lapped by vendor (open_razor). I didn't touch it since then. It's nearly flat with slight curve in the middle. I could sometimes feel like if the hone was "catching" the razor, the passes weren't smooth. And now after your post i'm coming to conclusion that it needs lapping. Is 1000g sandpaper enugh for that type of stone?

The lapping from open_razor is far from perfect, both my c12k's are from him, follow Lesslemmings advice
And be patient, it takes a looooong time to lap them.

Originally Posted by Lesslemming

I am a defender (or inventor? I don't really know.) of the theory that the PHIG performs best (if at all) when lapped to perfection.

I came across this about three years ago when I bought my first PHIG and everybody was raving how good or bad it was.
I didn´t get good results with it until I finished the surface. When you slide your fingernail across the stone and you feel a little unsmoothness,
you´re not where you want to be with the PHIG. It should feel as smooth as glass.

I recommend to lapp the stone thoroughly. This will take time, energy and a lot of sandpaper, because these will wear out quickly.
Get 240, 320, 400, 600 and your 1000. That should be good for the start.
First step is to make it flat.
The second step is to erase all scratches and high spots from the prevoius papers on the sandpaper.

Now for a reason I do not know coming from a 1k sandpaper the stone still does not shine or feel as smooth as glass.
That´s where I take out my old BBW (credit card size) and run it across the PHIG for hours (literally).

This can be done by other hard and fine naturals, too I guess. You want the PHIG to be like a mirror and feel like marble.
Then it performs at its best. This has worked for me twice now and seems to work for others as well

Yeah reading your posts on this is why I'll keep polishing mine with BBW. It's already pretty smooth and performs well, pretty blown away by how smooth an edge I got off it really.

Originally Posted by Lesslemming

I am a defender (or inventor? I don't really know.) of the theory that the PHIG performs best (if at all) when lapped to perfection.

I agree. I get the best performance by going up to 2000 grit with mine, and ditto for the Dragon's Tongue. Never thought to use a BBW on them, though - nice tip.

Two shaves in with my C12K, I'd say they can play with the big(expensive) boys if you get the right stone.

Ok so I've just finished honing my razor. I first lapped the C12K on sandpaper first 120g, 400g, 600g, 1000g and finally 2000g. It's now flat but still trying to make the surface more smooth, to give it that glass-like look. I honed on wet stone with no slurry and still it's too aggressive. I can see marks on the spine leaved by that hone.

I also cleaned and lapped that hone I was talking about here. WOW this one's superb. Far more smooth than this C12K. For the last stage I used an old German prewar Arkansas hone used for optic instruments. I'm now running that Thuringians against the C12K to polish them a bit more. IMO 1000g sandpaper is not enough for finishing lapping process.

Don't forget that the grit rating for those chinese stones is approximate. There's a few people that refer to them as PHIGs (People's Hone of Indeterminate Grit) for that reason. Yours might just be a coarse/fast one.

Yup that might be it. Thank you guys for clearing things up!

It might be it, but it doesn´t necessarily have to be. Give it a try and see for yourself if it´s a bad PHIG or just the surface

Yeah, for the process of polishing you need a harder stone for it to be effective. That BBW would be nice, it's very hard stone isnt it?