Is there any reason I shouldn't dry hone with my C12K? Does it make any functional difference if I use water or Smith's honing solution or glycerine instead of using it dry?
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Is there any reason I shouldn't dry hone with my C12K? Does it make any functional difference if I use water or Smith's honing solution or glycerine instead of using it dry?
From my experimenting it seems the edge will be finer more even or call it smoother if you use some kind of lube. Clear water seems to work just fine. I can see the difference at 45x quite clearly. With lube the edge is straighter without more coarse and uneven but most importantly the smoothest shaves for me come from when I finish with water.
OP , What's your goal ?
I sometimes do a few strokes dry on my finest Jnat as a touchup a la barber hone but otherwise always use water when honing.
When Oz speaks I always listen! I've never found his counsel wrong!!
I'm just learning to hone and trying to get good edges on a few different razors. Less mess to deal with is a big plus, but I can tolerate more mess and hassle if it'll mean a better edge. I just wondered how much of a difference water or oil might actually make.
I dunno but if you're making a mess maybe you're using too much slurry or water etc.
The only mess I get is on top of the hone unless I'm ripping & tearing into a beat up old edge to find good steel. Even then the mess radius is pretty minor.
I find that dry honing produces a finer edge.
Try it and see what happens. I have an old manual on my pc that recommends dry honing on naturals over water or oil....
I don't so much mean mess like that really. We're really cramped for space here, so just getting the stone out and onto table with a towel can be an ordeal and inconveniences a few people and causes a disruption.Quote:
Originally Posted by onimaru55
But I can just sit on the bed and hone dry without putting anybody out you see.
Though I'll just bite the bullet and do it if it makes a real difference.
I've found a few spots of water on the Chinese 12k and then honing until it's dry to give a decent edge which can be done in hand without any mess or splash. I don't find the edge functionally any better, just another method that works.
When I began honing pocket knives in my early teens the rational behind oil on arks, and water on waterstones, was that it acted as a lubricant, and most of all, as a vehicle to carry the particles of metal away. So that they would be suspended in the liquid rather than become embedded in the hone. Oilstones, it was said, would become glazed eventually if used dry. The particles (swarf) are there and they have to go somewhere. I have occasionally hit a few licks dry on a barber hone but other than that I'm a water, lather, or oil honer. My two bits.
You should feel free to experiment and report back -- I often use my commie hone and my Ark black dry before a good stropping, I'm usually pleased with the results. It sorta depends on the razor. Have some fun with it, you're not going to hurt the razor or the hone.
Agree with Jimmy on the need to keep swarf from being ground into any stone dry.
Sharpen a knife on a white ark and it soon becomes dark and will lose its cutting abilitys over time.
You need a vehical to carry swarf and with razors unwanted slurry away (unless at a point where slurry is usefull.
On my maintainance honing I use running water,is a 40 micron filter on the water return line which becomes black over about 10 blades,swarf? slurry?,maybe both.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3.../h20device.jpg
Nice setup, Pixel!
Thank you,just dinking around as usual:)
I've tried dry Honing with my PHIG and found that the edges were more harsh than when using water. Of course not all Naturals are the same, especially PHIG's, so what works fir me might not work for you. In other words, try if out, yours may work well with dry Honing.
As long as your not doing anything major, it should be fine. Like Oz, I occasionally use my Swaty dry. 3-5 lapps as a touch up. I've also done minimal lapps on my Nakayama Maruichi Asaig dry.
I kept a set of 7 razors shave ready for at least a year, doing only 3 lapps occasionally on my Swaty, Dry...
That's a serious setup! Did you come up with this? very cool either way!
Quote:
Originally Posted by pixelfixed
I made it for about 12 bux,works for me.ThxQuote:
Originally Posted by Trimmy72
I thought my setup was pretty nice and I was proud of it, but after seeing this photo, I suddenly feel like a one legged man in an ass kicking contest. :(Quote:
Originally Posted by pixelfixed
Ok, so point taken about the swarf and slurry affecting the stone.
I'm still leaning a bit more towards Smith's honing solution than water I think though. This stone won't absorb water at all, so soaking it seems to have no effect.
I love the set up, looks like a kick A*% work station, don't think is would work for me as I would be too impatient to set the whole deal up before I started laying my thing down on some unsuspecting blade.
Good Job, do lot's O' nice work on it, you'll be happy for your efforts!!!
tinkersd
In my experience, the Chinese so called "12k" works far better with water than dry. Not only it gives you a better feedback during the hone process but also a smoother edge.
I also sometimes use slurry on the Chinese, which is then washed away as I progress with the honing, however always using water.
I rarely use dry stone, not even the Swaty.
Well I used a couple of blades off it dry this past week and I'm going to use a couple off it wet this week. So I'll see if I can tell any difference.
As far as space goes, I sometimes hone with the TV on, a cookie pan in my lap with a towel over it and a cream pitcher full of water for the hones. The whole project fits in my lap.
That's exactly what I'm planning on doing tonight!Quote:
Originally Posted by roughkype