Thread: The C-Nat-athon

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

Don't know why I'm the only one still posting, but here goes.

Just finished about 5 1/2 hours of honing this fine Saturday. I honed 4 razors today. All were finished in the exact same way, and all showed incredible edges that popped hair easily, passed the HHT very easily and for the first time ever I managed to do rolling X's on a smile that actually worked.

I honed a Cosmo silver steel 6/8, a Robeson Sure-Edge 4/8, an Ontario Cutlery 6/8 and a 7/8 Puma that is my pride and joy. I have hesitated to even touch the Puma for fear of ruining what edge it had left on it. I have that baby flat ready to go now.

I finally have a routine that works for any razor I have now. Once the bevel is set and good, after doing the circles and X's on the 4 and 8k until I am happy that it cuts arm hair and the HHT ( or TNT, whichever I decide is best for that razor) then 200 to 300 X's on the CNat with nothing but clear water and I get incredible results.

The shave from last 2 nights proved that this technique was sound as both of those shaves were amazing and as good as I have gotten ever from one of my own blades.

Each of the 4 I did today would scatter hair easily, and would split any type of hair I chose easily, mustache, head, arm even dog, heheheh.

I almost don't need to shave today as yesterdays was so good that I hardly have any stubble built up, but the suspense is killing me and I have so many to test shave now.

My back is really killing me after all this honing today, but it's worth it if I can get a good repeatable process down that works good with the equipment I have.

Here is my process:

Set a good bevel on the 1k, until it shaves arm hair easily.
Do lynn's circles and X's on the 4k until the edge looks ready to move on. It also passes a TNT, and the first of the HHT tests.
Do more circles and X's on the 8k until the 4k stratches are gone and only the 8k scratch pattern is present. It should pass the arm hair test, the HHT test also. It exhibits a suction on the 8k that just doesn't exist unless the edge is really ready.
Do Circles and X's up to 300 laps on the 12k until the 8k scratch pattern is gone and replaced by the 12k's much finer pattern.
5 passes on a diamond paddle
10 passes on the CrOx paddle
100 laps on a clean wool felt strop
300 laps on a clean leather strop

At this point no hair I can present to the edge can resist it's sharpness. I can take a head hair and easily cut it into 4 pieces by passing it onto the blades.

I guess I'm done posting now, as this thread has allowed me to move on in my honing experience to the next level. Between JaNorton and the CNat-a-thon I have learned much.

I guess I can't really go any further without spending money on a higher grit stone now. That will have to wait until I am employed again though, and really who cares since I am starting to get the best out of what I have already, finally..

Happy Honing fellows!!

Mike

Go Mike Go!

It does appear the 5 laps on diamond are weighing in. Perhaps try a layer of tape when you transition to the cnat?

Originally Posted by pinklather

Go Mike Go!

It does appear the 5 laps on diamond are weighing in. Perhaps try a layer of tape when you transition to the cnat?

Dangit Robert, you point out the only thing I forgot to document!! I did not mention that each razor had a layer of tape that was changed at each new stone!!

I remove the tape before the paddles and stropping though.

Catch me again anytime I drop a ball, please feel free!!

Thanks so much for the encouragement!!

Mike

Originally Posted by mjhammer

Don't know why I'm the only one still posting, but here goes.

Just finished about 5 1/2 hours of honing this fine Saturday. I honed 4 razors today. All were finished in the exact same way, and all showed incredible edges that popped hair easily, passed the HHT very easily and for the first time ever I managed to do rolling X's on a smile that actually worked.

I honed a Cosmo silver steel 6/8, a Robeson Sure-Edge 4/8, an Ontario Cutlery 6/8 and a 7/8 Puma that is my pride and joy. I have hesitated to even touch the Puma for fear of ruining what edge it had left on it. I have that baby flat ready to go now.

I finally have a routine that works for any razor I have now. Once the bevel is set and good, after doing the circles and X's on the 4 and 8k until I am happy that it cuts arm hair and the HHT ( or TNT, whichever I decide is best for that razor) then 200 to 300 X's on the CNat with nothing but clear water and I get incredible results.

The shave from last 2 nights proved that this technique was sound as both of those shaves were amazing and as good as I have gotten ever from one of my own blades.

Each of the 4 I did today would scatter hair easily, and would split any type of hair I chose easily, mustache, head, arm even dog, heheheh.

I almost don't need to shave today as yesterdays was so good that I hardly have any stubble built up, but the suspense is killing me and I have so many to test shave now.

My back is really killing me after all this honing today, but it's worth it if I can get a good repeatable process down that works good with the equipment I have.

Here is my process:

Set a good bevel on the 1k, until it shaves arm hair easily.
Do lynn's circles and X's on the 4k until the edge looks ready to move on. It also passes a TNT, and the first of the HHT tests.
Do more circles and X's on the 8k until the 4k stratches are gone and only the 8k scratch pattern is present. It should pass the arm hair test, the HHT test also. It exhibits a suction on the 8k that just doesn't exist unless the edge is really ready.
Do Circles and X's up to 300 laps on the 12k until the 8k scratch pattern is gone and replaced by the 12k's much finer pattern.
5 passes on a diamond paddle
10 passes on the CrOx paddle
100 laps on a clean wool felt strop
300 laps on a clean leather strop

At this point no hair I can present to the edge can resist it's sharpness. I can take a head hair and easily cut it into 4 pieces by passing it onto the blades.

I guess I'm done posting now, as this thread has allowed me to move on in my honing experience to the next level. Between JaNorton and the CNat-a-thon I have learned much.

I guess I can't really go any further without spending money on a higher grit stone now. That will have to wait until I am employed again though, and really who cares since I am starting to get the best out of what I have already, finally..

Happy Honing fellows!!

Mike

Don't worry I was the only one posting for a few days last week. That just says when some of us are lazy, as I have not needed to hone lately. lol But I think I am going to touch up some of my razors on the c-nat sometime this weekend. Anyone else that wants to add to our pile of c-nat experiences please do. It's been very interesting for me to see what everyone has and I think we have covered a large range of the different types of rock these stones are quarried from. I figured I would keep this thread going for about a month like others, so a couple weeks to go. Keep the reports coming guys!

Your doing great Mike. I did hone another razor up on my C12K. Same as before. Thick slurry with my DMT slowly diluted it. The 75 on water. Awesome shave with no irritation.