Thread: The C-Nat-athon

Yeah, I have had my c-nat for awhile and it does take a little while to find how she likes to be used. I have noticed guys with softer stones work best without slurry, and the harder ones work better with slurry. If any of you have the hard variety, the key was to work the slurry and it keeps breaking down into smaller particles. The abrasive agent is soft and chalk like which is why it's slower than other stones, but that's also the reason mine is such a great finisher. Really hard stone, but soft abrasive. So if yours in hard like mine don't refresh the slurry and just keep working it. I can actually feel the difference from start to end. From start it feels very silky, then 40 circles then 50-100 laps it feels really slippery the particles are so fine. So that's my advice, but remember any natural whetstone is going to be finicky until you find how she likes to be treated. Kind of like a women, you have to treat her right before she puts out... a good edge.

Originally Posted by xMackx

Yeah, I have had my c-nat for awhile and it does take a little while to find how she likes to be used. I have noticed guys with softer stones work best without slurry, and the harder ones work better with slurry. If any of you have the hard variety, the key was to work the slurry and it keeps breaking down into smaller particles. The abrasive agent is soft and chalk like which is why it's slower than other stones, but that's also the reason mine is such a great finisher. Really hard stone, but soft abrasive. So if yours in hard like mine don't refresh the slurry and just keep working it. I can actually feel the difference from start to end. From start it feels very silky, then 40 circles then 50-100 laps it feels really slippery the particles are so fine. So that's my advice, but remember any natural whetstone is going to be finicky until you find how she likes to be treated. Kind of like a women, you have to treat her right before she puts out... a good edge.

The PHIG I use most of the time is one of the harder ones. I pesonally find that while it works with slurry, it works much better on water alone. Then again, I like a crisp edge and my opinion of a good edge is probably different than others. Probably why my other main finisher is a surgical black arkie.

Well, I think I can report a resounding 'SUCCESS'!!

My stone seems to respond best with no slurry at all.

This afternoon, shortly after my last post, I grabbed my Salamandar that had a pretty good edge, but was harsh and left mucho irritation on my face. It removed stubble just fine, but just was not a comfortable shaver.

I started just on the CNat, skipping the 8k refresher I talked about. I bought some diamond slurry some time back and had no idea what it was I bought. A friend told me it was a polishing slurry and should be used on a polishing stone to finish an edge with at the final sharpening stage. It is .25 micron diamond slurry, not meant for a anything other than a finished polishing progression, not the kind you spray on a strop or paddle.

I put just a couple of drops on my wet CNat and started doing 20 circles followed by 25 X's. I continually diluted until nothing but pure clean water was left. I noticed right off that my pressure this time was much less, just using the weight of the razor basically, and for some reason, the stone did not dry out as fast and I was pushing the same little puddle back and for for sometimes up to 50 X's before needing to sprinkle in a few more drops.

I did this at least 12 times for a total of about 300 laps. After each 100 X's I checked the edge under mag and was seeing some pretty good results. The straight-on scratch pattern was being replaced by a more sideways facing and finer scratch pattern, so I kept after it. When the pattern was so fine I could hardly make it out at 30x, I called it good and off I went to shave test it.

I was suitably impressed, it was almost as smooth as one of my pro honed razors. Definately the butteriest (is that a word??? HEHEH) shave with one of my own razors I have ever gotten. I did manage to cut myself twice on the jawline, as she just slid right in due to poor angle. She didn't let me get away with anything it is so darn sharp. But my neck and chin felt great and got clean in just 2 passes. The Alum block gave me plenty of feedback on a few stingers, but all in all, the blade was probably the best job I have ever done as far as a smooth, non irritating razor goes.

I stropped 10 laps on my CrOx paddle, then 100 on felt and 200 on leather and took it right to the face.

It makes me feel a lot better about my CNat, at least I know she can be a good finisher, it is the operator that sucks .

But at least I'm learning, and my little stone will get more and more use until I get the hang of it. I did notice that not all razors respond the same way. The Salamandar is a very hard steel and is a 1/2 hollow, and the stiffness helped me out a lot. My Robeson is a mid grade steel razor and a full hollow ground. I notice the difference when trying to get the edge set.

Anyway, this is great fun and it's helping me learn a ton!!

Wishing Great Shaves for All!!!

M

Originally Posted by xMackx

I have a theory why the softer c-nats leave lower grit scratch patterns. If they have similar composition as my stone, the stone abrades faster always releasing new and larger particles. Where with the harder ones, the chalk like particles abrade smaller without releasing new particles. Just a thought.

I believe that's true of these c-nats, coticules, and j-nats.

Nphocus, you might want to mention your c15k. That was the best shaving finish from a chinese rock (no pasted stropping involved) I've had. 'Quite pleasing.

Yeah from what I keep hearing, if someone can go to a woodcraft and pick and choose which one they want. That if you want a high end finisher, pick a hard stone that is very dark grey to black, and has stripes of the same color. That seems to be the color and density that everyone has with getting a 12-15k comparison stone. Mine is only a 2inch by 6inch but I wouldn't trade it for a different one. I mean where else am I going to get a 15k for less than 20 bucks. It is one of the slowest stones out there but the 40 circles method takes care of that. I'm going to hone some more tonight and post some new methods of technique but stick to the basics routine for which my stone desires.

Originally Posted by xMackx

It is one of the slowest stones out there but the 40 circles method takes care of that

40 circles doesn't sound like really slow..

This afternoon, I took my 'hub' razor which was shaving pretty well back to the hones.

One thing about shaving off the 8k is that it is pretty darn harsh, and I like the velvety smoothness some others get from their razors after running them up to 15-16k. The best probably was a shapton 16k that a friend finished for me. It was like running a butter knife on your face, except that all the stubble disappeared.

So, I did about 300 X's on this one, having learned a lot from the Salamandar that strokes on this baby add up. After every 33 X's, I would add water and do 40 circles. I could see under mag that it was getting smoother and smoother which is why I kept going up to 300 from the 200 previously.

No slurry is needed on this stone, and the more water the better. If it feels like it is floating on the stone, it is doing the best polishing.

When I was done, looking under mag it was almost mirrored along the bevel. The HHT, using a mustache hair astonished me. I literally touched it and it split it instantly. I had never used a whisker long enough to test like that before, and even though I didn't really like it, I had this wild mustache hair that always liked to stick straight out. I plucked it and thought, hey!! I should try the razor on this for the HHT. DAMMMMM.. I had no idea.

I am going to eat dinner and then shower and shave with it, and I hope it shaves as good as my expectations of it. After all, sitting and doing X's and Circles for an hour is not a lot of fun, and it makes my back hurt, but if the shave is good, it was worth every minute of it. The more I use this stone, the more I learn about it, so I'm going to keep right on going until I find the right mix of strokes and circles that produces the smoothes edge.

Until this thread prompted me to keep after it, I had no idea what could be done, or how much I could learn. It's funny but in just a few months, I feel like I have come a long way.

To bad I still can't hone a smile, nor can I hone a shoulderless razor worth a crap. But, I'm not giving up, at least not yet, hehehhe.

Happy shaving guys.!.!.

M

Originally Posted by globaldev

40 circles doesn't sound like really slow..

What you don't percieve is that he does 40 circles about a dozen times, hehehe. Seriously, 40 circles, then a ton of X's and 40 more circles about a dozen times is pretty slow.

Thanks for chiming in tho!!

M

Another great shave tonight!!

I really think I'm starting to get the hang of this stone!! The hub not only passed the HHT, it passed the shave test with flying colors.

Tons of X's on clear water seems to be the secret to this one.

I've got another couple of razors to work on next. I'm enjoying this way too much!!

Happy Shaving!

M