Thread: The C-Nat-athon

Narrow hones are also great for warps, lap one of the narrow sides of the C-Nat

My new experiment which I think will give positive results given the characteristics of my stone, is working a fine slurry and letting it dry onto the stone and reuse the slurry over again. I read this is a good thing to do with certain J-nats that have soft abrasive particles that can break down smaller the more they are reused, which my stone seems to work the same way. This is an experiment that will take a few honings before conclusive results are reached, but I will report back with every honing the same.

It's strange a jet black rock produces a bright white slurry. Must be the refraction of light with whatever mineral causes the stones slurry color, or something like that.

Originally Posted by mjhammer

Hi Handyman,

It sounds to me like a superb start! Much better results than I got my first razor out. As a matter of fact, I never even got a shave off my first try. I could tell by the arm hair test not to try it on my face. Then about 50 tries later I finally got a good bevel set.

Here is a great place for an illuminated magnifier (30x loupe):
Widget Supply 25mm 30x Chrome Teardrop Jewelers Loupe, Illuminated

That is the one I bought, and you can't beat the cheap price. It is not a cheap loupe though and I think it works magic for seeing an edge.

I also think you need a 8k stone to go between your 4k and 12k Cnat. But that is just because that is what I was taught you need. From what I learned from the JaNorton exercise all you need is the 4/8k stones to be able to set a bevel and shave from it. I did make that happen, even though I think I get a much better edge off the CNat than I ever did off just the 8k alone.

Keep going brother!! I needed all the encouragement I could get when I was doing my first razors, so I am here to encourage you as well!! Us rookies need to support one another!

Great job bro!!

M

Just received the loupe today... not bad for 10$ shipped. I'm away from my hones, but I will be posting my own results next week.

Thank you to everyone for sharing their experiences. I know it may seem like only a few guys post on this thread, but I'm willing to bet there are a significant number of lurkers

Originally Posted by Nphocus

Just received the loupe today... not bad for 10$ shipped. I'm away from my hones, but I will be posting my own results next week.

Thank you to everyone for sharing their experiences. I know it may seem like only a few guys post on this thread, but I'm willing to bet there are a significant number of lurkers

That's because things that are cheap in price are usually written off as a poor product. If these stones were quarried in any other country I bet they would cost 4 times the price. I'm just happy I got a really good one, come on guys lets do some experiments!

Originally Posted by xMackx

That's because things that are cheap in price are usually written off as a poor product. If these stones were quarried in any other country I bet they would cost 4 times the price. I'm just happy I got a really good one, come on guys lets do some
experiments!

I wish I had got a good one! I wish I could join you guys, unfortunately my stone is useless. I experimented with it for 6 months, and honest to god my 1k leaves a better edge.

I have been debating cutting it into sections to try to find a more "usable" area, but chances are if both sides leave an unsatisfactory feel, the middle wont be any better. That being said I dont have much to lose at this point with it......

Has anyone here cut their stone in hope of a more "usable" section?

Originally Posted by epd

I wish I had got a good one! I wish I could join you guys, unfortunately my stone is useless. I experimented with it for 6 months, and honest to god my 1k leaves a better edge.

I have been debating cutting it into sections to try to find a more "usable" area, but chances are if both sides leave an unsatisfactory feel, the middle wont be any better. That being said I dont have much to lose at this point with it......

Has anyone here cut their stone in hope of a more "usable" section?

I bought my stone originally as a huge 40lb slab. I had a local counter top installer cut it into 4 pieces using their diamond saw. They did an excellent job and even though I offered to pay, they cut it free of charge. You really have nothing to lose, and you could cut it into a few rather thin pieces and mount the thin pieces to hardwood in order to prevent them from breaking.

If you are up for taking another stab at an affordable finisher, I would try one of the ebay sellers from poland. The seller was very clear in distinguishing his 12k from his 15k and the paver I bought is very hard, very slow to release slurry, and improves on my coticule and thurry edges. My finishes aren't as smooth as a coticule finish, but they are keener. That may also have something to do with my type/layer of coticule and how I use it.

Anyway, for the price that the pavers sell for, you and a few others can go in on one and pay less than what you would at Woodcraft and end up with 2-3 times more usable stone.

Originally Posted by Nphocus

... but I'm willing to bet there are a significant number of lurkers

Lurk? Me? Perish the thought.

This is a thread I'm glad you're in on 'phocus. I don't remember details of the blade you did on the 'c15k', but it was smooth & plenty keen. My c12 wouldn't deliver anything like it.

'Good to see you. 'Hope all is very well your way.

I feel I must come out of the closet to encourage you guys. I have been watching this thread since it started. At the moment all I have is a 1k and a Norton 4/8k. I followed JaNorton to help me shave off of the 8k but I'm dissatisfied and am now looking at buying a cNat 12k to get my razors up to the next level. All the information on here has been incredibly helpful. Keep up the good work!

rolling X Stroke Success!!!

I studied the wiki on the rolling X and by golly, I managed to get it right and honed up my 'King Cutter' which I have been afraid of for a very long time. I had messed up this edge while I was learning to strop. It was the first true straight I ever purchased, after buying several cheap crap razors and strops, like a pakistani, a chinese and a kreiger. That was before I found this site and forum and learned what was real and what was junk. I went to SRD and made the right choices, except I still had no idea what I was doing, hence messing up this blade before I learned to strop properly.

It gave me a great shave today.

I worked it over last night, but failed. There were spots on it that were great, but not the entire blade. I tried again this morning and finally achieved it! I found that if I used tape, the tape would bind on the roll to the toe and pull loose and bubble up, so I removed it and restarted again. It was a little strange since I've been taught that you keep the entire blade length flat during your strokes, so keeping the toe up a little at the start, and put the toe forward toward the end seemed counter intuitive at first. Once I did a few passes on the the 1k and actually started to see the bevel developing the way I hoped it would, I was excited. I actually got the entire blade length fairly equal after a few attempts. It popped hair the full length and each side looks very close to each other.

This time I tried a pyramid approach instead of circles and laps (should never let me near the wiki's as it just gives a guy ideas) and again had some pretty darn good success. I started at the 25 lap per side level since I don't know what I'm doing, and worked it down the whole way to 1 to 5. It popped hair easily, very easily. It was actually a good bevel and polish!!!

Once I moved to the CNat though it did get a little stranger. My stone is the 2" width stone, so it actually made doing the rolling X a little easier than I anticipated. I found that doing it with almost 0 pressure was tough. I actually screwed it up once and had to go back a step cuz I dinged the edge a good one on the flip. Kind of lost control of the razor after the roll to the toe, during the flip toward the heel again. Pissed me off good, but I recovered and went back to the 4/8 pyramid and fixed it right up. Another first!!

I only did about 150 passes on the Cnat, this time with a healthy amount of slurry, and to my surprise it was enough. Darn near the same result as 300 on clear water, which shows I was over doing it again, as is my way.

A couple of passes on the diamond (5) and a few more on the CrOx (10), which I am beginning to swear by, and my Boker was literally singing to me. I only did 50 on the clean felt and only 100 laps on the leather and then went right ahead and showered and shaved with it. It was bliss. 2 passes and I was satisfied and very pleased with the feel and result.

Who knew??? Who knew I could do any of this stuff.

But first, I really must thank my mentor Roy Davis (cudarunner) who went out and bought me my first stones to get me started down this path (DMT 325, 800 King, 4/8 Norton and a stone holder, I later added a 1k King and a CNat). I repaid every cent he spent, but the show of friendship and the risk for a brother shaver say's worlds about the man. Thank You Roy!! I don't know if I ever say it enough to him directly, but every time I hone a razor and succeed I thank Roy!

Happy Honing mates!!

M

Originally Posted by mjhammer

rolling X Stroke Success!!!

I studied the wiki on the rolling X and by golly, I managed to get it right and honed up my 'King Cutter' which I have been afraid of for a very long time. I had messed up this edge while I was learning to strop. It was the first true straight I ever purchased, after buying several cheap crap razors and strops, like a pakistani, a chinese and a kreiger. That was before I found this site and forum and learned what was real and what was junk. I went to SRD and made the right choices, except I still had no idea what I was doing, hence messing up this blade before I learned to strop properly.

It gave me a great shave today.

I worked it over last night, but failed. There were spots on it that were great, but not the entire blade. I tried again this morning and finally achieved it! I found that if I used tape, the tape would bind on the roll to the toe and pull loose and bubble up, so I removed it and restarted again. It was a little strange since I've been taught that you keep the entire blade length flat during your strokes, so keeping the toe up a little at the start, and put the toe forward toward the end seemed counter intuitive at first. Once I did a few passes on the the 1k and actually started to see the bevel developing the way I hoped it would, I was excited. I actually got the entire blade length fairly equal after a few attempts. It popped hair the full length and each side looks very close to each other.

This time I tried a pyramid approach instead of circles and laps (should never let me near the wiki's as it just gives a guy ideas) and again had some pretty darn good success. I started at the 25 lap per side level since I don't know what I'm doing, and worked it down the whole way to 1 to 5. It popped hair easily, very easily. It was actually a good bevel and polish!!!

Once I moved to the CNat though it did get a little stranger. My stone is the 2" width stone, so it actually made doing the rolling X a little easier than I anticipated. I found that doing it with almost 0 pressure was tough. I actually screwed it up once and had to go back a step cuz I dinged the edge a good one on the flip. Kind of lost control of the razor after the roll to the toe, during the flip toward the heel again. Pissed me off good, but I recovered and went back to the 4/8 pyramid and fixed it right up. Another first!!

I only did about 150 passes on the Cnat, this time with a healthy amount of slurry, and to my surprise it was enough. Darn near the same result as 300 on clear water, which shows I was over doing it again, as is my way.

A couple of passes on the diamond (5) and a few more on the CrOx (10), which I am beginning to swear by, and my Boker was literally singing to me. I only did 50 on the clean felt and only 100 laps on the leather and then went right ahead and showered and shaved with it. It was bliss. 2 passes and I was satisfied and very pleased with the feel and result.

Who knew??? Who knew I could do any of this stuff.

But first, I really must thank my mentor Roy Davis (cudarunner) who went out and bought me my first stones to get me started down this path (DMT 325, 800 King, 4/8 Norton and a stone holder, I later added a 1k King and a CNat). I repaid every cent he spent, but the show of friendship and the risk for a brother shaver say's worlds about the man. Thank You Roy!! I don't know if I ever say it enough to him directly, but every time I hone a razor and succeed I thank Roy!

Happy Honing mates!!

M

Glad to see you ironed things out with your razor. The rolling X stroke is probably one of the most useful methods for anyone collecting straights. I personally never liked using pyramid honing methods, isn't very efficient for me. If you ever take any pics of your razors or gear I'd love to see them as I'm sure others would too. Happy things are going well with your skill building, time building any type of skill is time well spent!