This one is the first one I have gotten with enough oomph as far as razors go. Shaved with an edge I reset on the wiss without issue. It did start out a bit hot but smoothed out in a hurry. Atg was no problem anywhere. I can definitely get more from this, but I will try a Sheffield next time.
Charnley Forest show off your Charnwood
- Thread starter rideon66
- Start date
Just received this beauty today. It gave an excellent finish, very keen.
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That's a great looking one also. Your first one? Lucky to get a good razor stone on your first shot if you did.
Thank you very much! Yes indeed my first CF and very lucky to get a razor hone indeed. I'm really impressed how it can improve a coti edge so much.
You may as well ask for the winning lottery numbers. These are so hard to get reads on. You just buy em till you get a finisher
- Thread starter
- #108
I don'the think there is a way to tell without using them which is finer and how you use it combined with the level of burnishing will make a difference too. If you read old literature about them it seems they speak of the old whittle hill light green being the best, but I don't think it is that easy. Some are softer and some are harder. I think a good hard one well burnished does best. Usually on the slower side. If you go by this thread most seem to lean towards the green and red striped. This may be more what people like too though. I can barely tell the difference between my all green labeled and my green with red stripe ones, but I have to give the edge to the green with red stripes. Lapping and burnishing these real hard ones are a good bit of work though.
Also once lapped and burnished well. I found my best results with glycerin water mix. I just don't like oil. Others swear buy sewing oil or wd40. I got very nice results with water and a drop of dish soap too.
Also once lapped and burnished well. I found my best results with glycerin water mix. I just don't like oil. Others swear buy sewing oil or wd40. I got very nice results with water and a drop of dish soap too.
You have to be careful with the old literature. They were mostly valuing cutting power. The consistency of other naturals such as washitas decimated the charnley but if you get the right one they can be special in ways the others aren't imo. David got one not too long ago that sounds like a world beating tool stone.. And that one looks like ones a lot of ppl use as razor finishers... I give up trying to figure them out. I wish they weren't so expensive for gambles because they are really interesting to me.
- Thread starter
- #110
You are correct I think a lot of the literature on these was probably based on knives not razors. They were used and written about as razor stones too though. I don't think they had many options in old sheffield that far back. I think it has more to do with hardness and burnishing vs looks. I haven't owned enough of these to draw any real conclusion though. Just from the few I have, what others on here have said and what I have read about them. All seem to differ a bit. I feel like the softer faster stones where more for knives. Seems like a good percentage of these are more on the light green side, but not always and some all green are harder than the red striped. I think most of us razor guys look for the harder striped slower stones. My first CF came from a knife guy who felt it was to slow and fine for knives. It is my best one for razors, but my labeled all green is so hard it is very close. Based on the fact it is the 6×3' size I would think it might be for razors, but being Marples brand it may be for tools and probably chisels. I think they sold both razors and tools though and really can't find any old catalogs with it in them. Only labeled one I have ever seen too.
I have to say of all my stones the Charnley Forest is still on top of my list. Others stones might be a little more versatile and faster, but it is amazing what you can do with these stones in a few hundred laps. The final result is also unlike others in a good way.
I have to say of all my stones the Charnley Forest is still on top of my list. Others stones might be a little more versatile and faster, but it is amazing what you can do with these stones in a few hundred laps. The final result is also unlike others in a good way.
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The kahki colored ones that taper with the round bottoms are the oldest. I had one. It was soft and stupidly fast. Another I had was a large rectangle that was medium hardness. It had red but the red was diffuse and not focused. It gave a shaving edge but not one I would grab the stone for. My current one has less red but the red is more crisp looking and it took sic to lap. This one gives up a good edge. I still haven't encountered one that is so hard it is like the universe sat on it.
- Thread starter
- #112
Oh mine are stupid hard like that. The small really patterned one helped break in my 600 Atoma. It was tough going and that Atoma is great for slurring JNATS and lapping them while leaving a mirror smooth top now. The khaki colored are the old light green from whittle hill I was talking about that the literature says are the best oldest ones. Seems yours was more of a knife stone too. My best boxed one with the red stripes is also tapered and round bottomed.
- Thread starter
- #113
These are my hardest densest heaviest stones. Only comparison is a Ark.
Sure enough. If all charns were like this one the Washita would have a serious run for its money. I need to do a more thorough side by side comparison, but I think this Charn is faster and finer than any washita I have.]
- Thread starter
- #115
Welcome to the club David. It sure is a nice looking one. Sounds like a really nice knife stone.
That labelled one has to be one from near the end of the commercial line for them
Oohh, very nice David.
Yeah, that is a really spectacular looking one.
- Thread starter
- #119
I would guess that too, but Marples was selling out of Hibernian works since 1831 and WM. Marples & Sons was used since at least 1860 and it was Hibernia works by then. By 1875 they used the triple shamrock with the Hibernia and the label on that stone has no shamrock. Although the triple shamrock was a registered trademark since 1862. So it may be older than we think.
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- Thread starter
- #120
Ok that Marples CF is made of dark matter. My arms are shot. I just wanted to refresh the surface not even a lapping. Did try knife on the slurry worked very nice. So I spent the next 3 hrs removing a scratch that couldn't even be felt. Then had to bring up the surface back to where it was. These things are just evil hard.
