Thread: The C-Nat-athon

Honing report #3:

Marathon honing session on the 5/8 Spike today. It took literally 3 hours for me to get it right. I seemed to have one heck of a time getting the bevel set. 2 layers of tape on it this time seemed to give about the same results as 1, but I didn't give up.

It was passing the TNT after the 1k, but then after the norton 4k it didn't feel quite right, almost like I had dulled it somehow. I worked it about an hour on the 4k until the TNT felt right again. I was switching tape between each stone. I finally got it so it was popping hair pretty well before I went to the 8k.

I was checking scratch patterns closely so I could tell if the Cnat was dulling it, but for the experience I checked it really closely all during the 4/8k process also. It had a pretty good scratch pattern after the 8k that I'm sure I could have shaved off.

I slurried up the Cnat with the edge of my Cnat slurry stone to a nice milky covering and did 20 circles and 25 X's. Re-wet the stone and repeated. I did this 5 times until the milk was completely gone. Then I did 2 sets on clear water. The razor was pushing the water evenly and a mag inspection showed it was changing the scratch pattern.

I lapped it 100 times on felt and 300 times on leather. I did the HHT and it popped it easily. I ran it thru my thick arm hair about 1/4" above the skin and it came away covered with hair with no effort.

So, now I'm waiting for the face to recover a little and get a good stubble built up before I attempt to shave with it, probably tomorrow.

This is the first with some really good milky slurry on it, and to be honest, I'm not sure it was needed. I have the feeling my stone might do better just on clear water. But it remains to be seen (or tested). The fact that I have very little idea what the hell i'm doing might play a part in things, but I'm learning as I go.

Anyway, the scratch pattern did shift to a higher angle (my stone is 2" wide so requires a greater toe forward angle during the X's, which shifts the scratch pattern to a greater angle than the 4/8 leaves), but it still was a scratch pattern. There was no 'mirror' edge, just a different scratch angle. But, it did completely remove the 8k pattern with it's own pattern, whatever that means.

It seems sharp, but as they say, the only real test is the shave test.

I'll report on the shave when I do it!!

Interesting that my Cnat just changed the pattern, and didn't really 'polish' like I kinda expected. Is that what others experience? or should it have removed the old scratches and left a higher 'mirror' finish? Opinions please??

Happy Shaving!!

M

Hammer, Grats!!

'Seems like I've spent the better part of last wk, communicating w/ guys trying to learn this rock. So far, no joy.

I suspect the milky slurry is not needed - just light misty stuff. A dang lot of circles and strokes have been the only thing that's worked for me. The circles speed things up alot. I'll do 30 each direction, each side, followed by at least that many x-strokes, diluting to clear water as I go.

Other tricks were working the slurry to clear water and then adding a layer of tape for a microbevel. Then refreshing the tape and doing 7 strokes or so for avg steel, 21 for hard steel on the rock after its had been rinsed and dried.

Painting a crox grid on the surface was tried, and gave a very slight benefit.

I feel like a noob still, but can get a decent edge from the stone. Some crox or other paste may be needed to take the bite when you're done.

Keep working it. Persistence and stupidity (too dumb to know when to quit) work equally well. That's my story and I'm sticking with it.

I've often been told that Pinklather say's you can't do too much stropping, so not having heard it from you myself, took it right to heart anyway and strop as much as I can before putting it to the face. I'll probably do another 100 before I shave too.

Thanks for the encouragement!! Being a noob sure sucks sometimes, and not having a teacher other than via email and the forums is a tough way to learn. I still don't know if what I'm doing is right.

I've seen videos where the honer has the bevel set and the razor sharp in less than 20 minutes, I don't know why it takes me 3 hours, hehehe. I have a CrOx paddle as well as a diamond paddle, but I don't really know how to use them either. I have managed to dull a lot more razors than I have ever sharpened, that's for sure!! LOL.

Well, I've got a 7 day set of these Spikes now, and 2 of them are shave ready, hopefully 3 now. But that still leaves me 4 to go!! It would sure be nice if I could get them to go.

Take care!!

M

Well guys I got out the rocks again and started on the 1k. With 3 sets of 40 circles and 20 x strokes and then 20 x strokes with the heal leadin. I did that with all the other stones except my c-nat I busted out two layers of tape to put a micro bevel and I took out the circles and did 2 sets of 100 x strokes so after 200 x strokes I stropped 50 on linen and 100 on leather and it wasn't bad but not smooth like pink lather but I'm starting to understand my c-nat so I'll hit it again tomorrow or Monday.

I decided to let the slurry dry on my C-Nat so I could give a better look of the characteristics to you guys. Mine is a jet black stone, but produces a bright white slurry. The slurry feels very silky and breaks down into smaller and smaller particles which I believe is a form of chalk. Some say it feels like talcum powder but talc is a specific mineral and is more likely to be chalk. I see why the really nice c-nats are compared to some thuringian or escher sometimes because those stones were composed of chalk and quartz mainly, and my c-nat feels composed of mostly chalk and probably a small percentage of silica. Nagura stones are actually a form of natural chalk as well. Since chalk is a very slow abrasive and breaks down into smaller and smaller particles I see why it's such a great finisher in the right chalk, quartz, or silica ratios. This is all conjecture and based on my own knowledge and opinion, but I think it may have some truth to it.

Shave Report #3:

Finally got to shave with my CNat finished Spike today. Here are my interpretations:

First, it was trying to remove 2 1/2 days of stubble, and the older I get, the more like pure wire my beard is. I try and try to moisturize it during pre-shave ritual, even to the point of leaving hair conditioner on it for at least 10 minutes during my shower and after.

I've been using a pre-shave gel as well, to try and 'slicken' the skin up before hitting it with the razor. Today I used RazoRock XXX over Rise baby face shave gel.

The Spike is definately sharp and removed the growth very cleanly. There was a fair amount of tug and pull still, but once you got it moving, it did a nice clean job, specifically on the cheeks where one pass is usually all that is needed for it to feel CBS. The neck on the other hand needs 2 passes if not 3 to get clean and smooth. Today was no exception.

Really, right now my face is a clean and smooth as I have ever gotten, the alum gave a little feedback, but it always does. The AS didn't give any more than usual either. So all in all, a very satisfying shave this afternoon.

I am wondering if a few more passes on the CNat might reduce some of the tug I felt. Or could running it over my CrOx paddle or the Diamond paddle smooth it up some more?

Either way, I feel pretty good, cuz that razor was shave ready and left me with a nice shave, despite the tug. I at least didn't have to switch razors mid shave this time!

Opinions?

Have a great day gents!!

Mike

I'm in

Genco razor dulled on a glass rim
I used a very worn Smith 850 diamond plate to set the bevel, then on to the Norton 4k/8k, used circles with pressure (40/side) on 4k with slurry, diluted and 40/side x-strokes with less pressure then 40 x-strokes water only. Then 40 no pressure laps on the 8k side.

110 laps on C-Nat water only with no pressure

40 linen/60 leather

Very nice shave!!

Originally Posted by mjhammer

Honing report #3:

Marathon honing session on the 5/8 Spike today. It took literally 3 hours for me to get it right. I seemed to have one heck of a time getting the bevel set. 2 layers of tape on it this time seemed to give about the same results as 1, but I didn't give up.

It was passing the TNT after the 1k, but then after the norton 4k it didn't feel quite right, almost like I had dulled it somehow. I worked it about an hour on the 4k until the TNT felt right again. I was switching tape between each stone. I finally got it so it was popping hair pretty well before I went to the 8k.

I was checking scratch patterns closely so I could tell if the Cnat was dulling it, but for the experience I checked it really closely all during the 4/8k process also. It had a pretty good scratch pattern after the 8k that I'm sure I could have shaved off.

I slurried up the Cnat with the edge of my Cnat slurry stone to a nice milky covering and did 20 circles and 25 X's. Re-wet the stone and repeated. I did this 5 times until the milk was completely gone. Then I did 2 sets on clear water. The razor was pushing the water evenly and a mag inspection showed it was changing the scratch pattern.

I lapped it 100 times on felt and 300 times on leather. I did the HHT and it popped it easily. I ran it thru my thick arm hair about 1/4" above the skin and it came away covered with hair with no effort.

So, now I'm waiting for the face to recover a little and get a good stubble built up before I attempt to shave with it, probably tomorrow.

This is the first with some really good milky slurry on it, and to be honest, I'm not sure it was needed. I have the feeling my stone might do better just on clear water. But it remains to be seen (or tested). The fact that I have very little idea what the hell i'm doing might play a part in things, but I'm learning as I go.

Anyway, the scratch pattern did shift to a higher angle (my stone is 2" wide so requires a greater toe forward angle during the X's, which shifts the scratch pattern to a greater angle than the 4/8 leaves), but it still was a scratch pattern. There was no 'mirror' edge, just a different scratch angle. But, it did completely remove the 8k pattern with it's own pattern, whatever that means.

It seems sharp, but as they say, the only real test is the shave test.

I'll report on the shave when I do it!!

Interesting that my Cnat just changed the pattern, and didn't really 'polish' like I kinda expected. Is that what others experience? or should it have removed the old scratches and left a higher 'mirror' finish? Opinions please??

Happy Shaving!!

M

My C-nat does put a mirror finish on the bevel, and under magnification the scratch pattern in much finer than off the Norton 8k. But under magnification you will always see a scratch pattern, it just gets finer the higher grit you go. Like how the Norton gives a mirror finish but twisting it under the light with the naked eye I can still see the scratch pattern but off of my C-nat I can only see the scratch pattern with a loupe.