Thread: The C-Nat-athon

Shave Report #1:

I honed a 4/8 Salamandar that I had used before with good success. The only problem was I dulled it up pretty well using my C12k incorrectly, with a surface that was not truly finished well.

In a previous post I spoke about how I re-lapped it then took it up to 8k and polished the heck out of so that it almost shines, even when dry.

After going thru the normal progression to 8k, this razor was sharp enough to shave with already. I know because I've done it before. This time however, I did 200 X's on the Cnat, doing 20 circles in between every 25 X's using very light pressure, almost just the weight of the razor.

Right after dinner, I was anxious as heck to shave with it tonight, and I had very high expectations. I took extra precautions during my pre-shave prep, and using just VDH straight to the face for the first pass I was highly impressed. It cleaned all the spots I expected to be cleaned in 1 pass, and left the rest as was expected as well.

For the second pass XTG I used some shave gel (non foaming gel called: Rise baby face shave gel) that I got for my wifes legs and her DE originally. I rubbed it in good, then lathered over the top of that with the VDH that was still in the brush. the XTG was good enough to not even need an ATG, but I did one anyway, using the same prep. It was truly a DFS result.

I am so impressed with this stone now. Before I had never gotten decent results when using it, so I was about to write it off as not worth the small amount I paid for it, but now I think it is worth every cent!!

I do believe the trick is in how I prepped the stone, and the fact that I couldn't raise a slurry on it, so basically it was a really light slurry for the first 25 X's and after that was clear water.

I did strop it another 100 laps before shaving, so the total was 100 felt - 300 leather before the razor ever touched my face.

No nicks, no tug or pull, no weepers and best of all, hardly no feedback from the alum block or the AS, which was Osage Rub, followed by some good old British Sterling Edt.

I tell ya men, it was a DFS!! Tomorrow I'm going to hone up one of my Spikes from my 7 day set and test the same process on a wedge and see what I think. I will have to use tape on the spike, so it will be an interesting experiment still. As I sit here I am still faceturbating like crazy it was such a good shave. hehehe.

That's it for tonight!!

Happy honing men!!

Mike

Originally Posted by mjhammer

Shave Report #1:

I honed a 4/8 Salamandar that I had used before with good success. The only problem was I dulled it up pretty well using my C12k incorrectly, with a surface that was not truly finished well.

In a previous post I spoke about how I re-lapped it then took it up to 8k and polished the heck out of so that it almost shines, even when dry.

After going thru the normal progression to 8k, this razor was sharp enough to shave with already. I know because I've done it before. This time however, I did 200 X's on the Cnat, doing 20 circles in between every 25 X's using very light pressure, almost just the weight of the razor.

Right after dinner, I was anxious as heck to shave with it tonight, and I had very high expectations. I took extra precautions during my pre-shave prep, and using just VDH straight to the face for the first pass I was highly impressed. It cleaned all the spots I expected to be cleaned in 1 pass, and left the rest as was expected as well.

For the second pass XTG I used some shave gel (non foaming gel called: Rise baby face shave gel) that I got for my wifes legs and her DE originally. I rubbed it in good, then lathered over the top of that with the VDH that was still in the brush. the XTG was good enough to not even need an ATG, but I did one anyway, using the same prep. It was truly a DFS result.

I am so impressed with this stone now. Before I had never gotten decent results when using it, so I was about to write it off as not worth the small amount I paid for it, but now I think it is worth every cent!!

I do believe the trick is in how I prepped the stone, and the fact that I couldn't raise a slurry on it, so basically it was a really light slurry for the first 25 X's and after that was clear water.

I did strop it another 100 laps before shaving, so the total was 100 felt - 300 leather before the razor ever touched my face.

No nicks, no tug or pull, no weepers and best of all, hardly no feedback from the alum block or the AS, which was Osage Rub, followed by some good old British Sterling Edt.

I tell ya men, it was a DFS!! Tomorrow I'm going to hone up one of my Spikes from my 7 day set and test the same process on a wedge and see what I think. I will have to use tape on the spike, so it will be an interesting experiment still. As I sit here I am still faceturbating like crazy it was such a good shave. hehehe.

That's it for tonight!!

Happy honing men!!

Mike

I'm with you on your results, it was after polishing the surface and my method of making the light slurry is what turned it into an amazing finisher. It's definitely worth the time getting to know the personality of this stone before writing it off as a cheap China made product like most do. After all natural stones know no country, just mother nature.

Good thread, will have to keep an eye on it. I haven't used my Cnat in over a year...

Originally Posted by xMackx

I'm wondering if maybe some places that sell these stones grade them better. Because I bought my C-nat from a guy in Poland that seems to grade them, because I see he sells some labeled 8k and the one I bought was labeled 12k. I have heard of people buying a few of them from woodcraft before finding one they liked. Anyone else share the same opinion? Just a thought.

Woodcraft had a sale in my area and I bought 5 for 20 bucks each. They let me pick from a lot of 10 stones they had all 8 x 3. The stones were all very flat with no grooves or pits. Flattening was easy. I picked different vein patterns being on the lookout for the ones that had the tiny tiger stripes throughout as per Gsixgun post. 4 of the stones are very close in the razor scratch pattern looking though a toolmakers microscope. One of the stones which has only one stripe had the largest scratch pattern, similar to my 6 to 8K stones. I have bought one of the Polish fellows stones and it was not close to the finished quality of
the Woodcraft stones. It had a larger scratch pattern.

Just finishing on my C12K isn't much of a challenge as I know it's good, so I took another approach.

Dulled a 13/16 Globusmen with a few swipes on my sink.
Set a bevel on my 1k Chosera, 20 circles each way.
5 regular strokes (laps)
5 X-strokes
5 regular

Checked if it popped hairs on my arm, and TNT: Passed
5 regular and 5 X-strokes.
Bevel set and ready.

Put the 8x3" C12K on top of my Shapton stone holder and raised a good slurry using the slurry stone, nice white and milky.

20-25 circles on each side.
10 regular strokes
10 x-strokes
5-6 regular
Dipped the razor in the sink to rinse it and bring some water to dilute the slurry.

Repeated this 8-10 times until the slurry was gone.

Rinsed the C12K and did sets of 5 regular and 5 x-strokes until the edge undercut the water nice and evenly all along the edge, around 50 laps total, then 20 more for good measure.

Stropped with Illinois #827, 70 on linen, 125 on leather.

The shave:

Nice, sharp and comfortable.

Normally I'd do a few laps on CroX after honing, but dropped it for the sake of the experiment, did it after the shave instead.

Blix, I'm glad to see someone try a one-stone approach with the C12k. I know that Glen has done a video on it, and I've seen it a few times but I haven't attempted it yet. Should we start calling it Dilu-PHIG honing? LOL

Originally Posted by myersn024

Blix, I'm glad to see someone try a one-stone approach with the C12k. I know that Glen has done a video on it, and I've seen it a few times but I haven't attempted it yet. Should we start calling it Dilu-PHIG honing? LOL

Hehe, Dilu-Phig works for me!

I watched Glen's "one-stone honing" with the C12K before I honed indeed, and loosely followed what he did there, worked out nicely.

Originally Posted by drwextra

I have bought one of the Polish fellows stones and it was not close to the finished quality of
the Woodcraft stones. It had a larger scratch pattern.

My experience has been exactly the opposite.

Razor: Utica Cutlery Co. Helma 88, 6/8 extra hollow.
Stones:Washita, Hard Arkansas, PHIG
Result: Couldn't find my big Washita so i had to set the bevel on the Washita on the Smith's tri-hone using sewing machine oil. Took a bit of time but finally got the Helma popping hairs. Next took it to the hard ark, also with sewing machine oil. Didn't count laps but got the stiction I was looking for after around 30 minutes worth of x strokes. Finaly I moved to the PHIG.This is the second usable PHIG that I own but it isn't as fine as my other one. For this I used a water based honing solution so as not to muddy the stone too much. It took about twice the time as my other PHIG used only with water but it got a beautiful mirror finish on the edge.

Now to the shave. Before the shave I stropped 50 on poly web and 100 on latigo. Face lathered the Speick stick and started shaving. Bar none the sharpest edge I've ever gotten from a PHIG. Not that smooth but wickedly sharp. It will be interesting to see how this razor settles in after a few shaves and stroppings. This will definitely lead me to continue the experiment with the PHIG and oil.

Originally Posted by drwextra

I have bought one of the Polish fellows stones and it was not close to the finished quality of
the Woodcraft stones. It had a larger scratch pattern.

Interesting. Mine from the Polish seller is one of the nicer ones, from what I understand. I did buy it a few years ago, if that makes any difference.