Can anyone recommend me a honing progression with what I have?

Het there,

I have a 1000/6000 combi waterstone and a drangon's tongue slate hone, all lapped and ready to go. Could any of you kind people recommend me a honing progression, assuming that I'll be starting from a totally dulled edge (ie bevel setting onwards). I know it's all personal and subjective, but if have some opinions and maybe a few different ideas then at least I have a starting point.

I have 2 razors which are there for playing with, but are of decent steel (a cadman near-wedge and a Sir Walter Scott Full Hollow) so I have no issue with honing them to death.

Cheers!

Iain.

you will start on the 1k , then 6k.
The dragons tongue when well lapped is in the 6-8k range I believe so try it after the 6k.
After the stones you can try pasted strop to finish the edge but IMO you will need at least a true 8k stone to get a nice shaveable edge.

Well, that's an easy one :)

Start with the 1K until you have the bevel set, it should be cutting hair effordlessly all over the edge, then go to the 6K until it undecuts the water on all the lenght of the edge on both sides, then you use the DT, you can use plain water, although I would recommend to start with a light slurry an dilute every ten strokes or so until it's just water left and finish with a few light strokes on just water before stropping.


Good luck:)

Edit: Like mainaman said, the DT is in the 6-8K range, and a dedicated 8K would be recommended, but the DT is still capable of giving a decent shaving edge, not the best, but shavable.

Hello,

I'm not familiar with the dragon's tongue, but if it's 6-8K as the others posted, you might want to try to put some lather/bar soap/oil on there with a few very light passes. Wont make a big difference but i tried rubbing bar soap on my hone and did a few extreamly light x-strokes and it made a little more finished edge. To try and get the most out of your DT and possibly get a nice shave.

If i remember correctly glen and some others have tried shaving from each stone, shaved right off the 1000, 4000, and so on to get the best edges they could from those stones before moving on. Some of the methods they used to get the best possible polish would help you shave off the DT.
Anyway hope that made since, and helps.

Nathaniel

Thanks for the input!

I'll get myself down to the hardware store on the way home today and have a look in the catalogue for something aound the 8-10k mark.

Any more advice or opinion is welcome, of course!

A lot of people swear by the Chinese 12k if you can get one at an acceptable price - this may also give a bigger step up than going with an 8 to 10k if you are already nearly there with the DT

Edit - just noticed where you are (UK) - you might find it difficult picking up a high grit stone from a store. The Internet might be a better place.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mauledbyakitten

Thanks for the input!

I'll get myself down to the hardware store on the way home today and have a look in the catalogue for something aound the 8-10k mark.

Any more advice or opinion is welcome, of course!

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IMO, You might want to find something for in between 1K and 6K... I may take longer to get the 1K marks off with the 6k than say, a 3 or 4K

A regards the Dragon's Tongue stone, mine was purchased from Neil Miller and he decided that my particular stone is about 9k and I believe that is fairly accurate because the shave from the DT is every bit as nice as from the Norton 8k.

I generally lap with the DMT 325 and finish lap on the Norton 1k. I think the 1k helps the DT surface. You might like to try that.

Jerry
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Thanks, Jerry. I'll bear that in mind once I get the 1000/6000 combi, which shoud have been here days ago but still hasn't materialised!
Do you use the 1000 to raise a slurry as well? I notice Glen (Gssixgun) used a DMT325 to raise a slurry on his one-stone-hone video, but I don't have one so it's not an option.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by UKRob

Edit - just noticed where you are (UK) - you might find it difficult picking up a high grit stone from a store. The Internet might be a better place.

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It's not the availability that is the issue, it's the price! Holy cow! £100 for a 10k stone?! Yup, i think I'll hunt me down a chinese 12k. There's a few on fleabay.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mauledbyakitten

Do you use the 1000 to raise a slurry as well? I notice Glen (Gssixgun) used a DMT325 to raise a slurry on his one-stone-hone video, but I don't have one so it's not an option.

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Not sure what that Question is asking...I use a slurry on my 1000 but i raise it with a natural finisher slurry stone (coti/slate) which is harder then the 1000 and contamination of the grit wont hurt here. But if your thinking of raising a slurry on a higher grit stone say the 6000 using your 1000 hone to raise it then the 6000 grit stone would be contaminated with 1000 grit particles.

When you use a stone of lower grit to raise a slurry then some of that slurry will be from your 1000, therefore when honing on say the 6000, your blade which you intend to impart a 6000 finish is encountering 1000 grit particles as well.

Glen is using a diamond grit hone to raise slurry, which works well because the diamond hone is so hard it don't loose any of it's particles and therefore no contamination of grit size.

I believe you can get a DMT credit card sized at a decent price. On some of my stones I use a piece of slate I found and smoothed for that purpose. Also look in classifieds there are often slurry stone available there.

Riiiiight! And suddenly the mist clears! Cheers for the clarification.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mauledbyakitten

It's not the availability that is the issue, it's the price! Holy cow! £100 for a 10k stone?! Yup, i think I'll hunt me down a chinese 12k. There's a few on fleabay.

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Try this UK Webshop for a 10 Naniwa SS for £60.90. The same stone, twice as thick and on a base is also available from them for £9.10 more. However, if your DT is approaching 9k then you probably won't notice the difference, so you could look at the 12k Naniwa SS for £73.90 from the same shop. Unlike the Chinese 12k it is a true 12k stone.

All three are under £100....

Regards,
Neil

Thanks Neil. While I have your attention, I have had a razor honed by you and it's dur a touch up. Do you usually hone with tape? I've heard that I need to keep the same amount of tape every time I hone, so I was just curious. Bevel setting is the next lesson!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mauledbyakitten

Thanks Neil. While I have your attention, I have had a razor honed by you and it's dur a touch up. Do you usually hone with tape? I've heard that I need to keep the same amount of tape every time I hone, so I was just curious. Bevel setting is the next lesson!

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Yes - 1 layer of 3M tape - it may be a little thicker than normal electrical tape, though.

Regards,
Neil

I agree with Neil on the Super Stone, nice stone and a known quantity both in grit rating and performance, unlike a natural especially the C12K which may or may not be 12k.

For someone new to honing the more variables you can exclude, the better your chances for success and improved learning curve. Also I agree on the DMT 325 Credit Card, Woodcraft has them for $15 US. Use the DMT to slurry if you are going to slurry, so you know what the slurry grit is. It also works great to de-glaze your other stones just a few laps to prep before use. You should lap your stones flat the first time though.

If you slurry a 6k stone with a 1k you have a combination of 1k-6k grit. You have already done 1K why go back to1K you are trying to smooth and polish the egde with a finer/higher grit. When you are starting out it may be too many variables for a consistent result. If you slurry with a DMT on a 6K stone your slurry will be 6K or higher. Keep it simple. Once you have got it down, then experiment.
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First, unless you are setting and edge or grinding out knicks, stay away from the 1K side of that stone. I have a similar knife stone and can restore the shaving edgeto "passing" on a blade using the 6 K side