About to throw in towel. Any books on honing?

[lightfoot]

What about this for a suggestion:

Why don’t you send both of your slates and one of your razors to someone here on the forum and have someone else see what they can do with the stones?

Maybe one of those stones has a legitimate problem and someone here could identify or perhaps disqualify a potential issue.

The stones you have may or may not be suitable for finishing…

 

[SliceOfLife]

Or heck meet someone in person if you're not in some isolated region.

 

[Jayboz]

Cool, i like the idea of a mindless, more utilitarian honing. Not so interested in the experimentation aspect. i’ll keep my eye out for thurigans, but not getting my hopes up. Who know if it would even be real.

Ill incorporate everyone’s suggestions to getting stones prepped correctly and report back…for those who havent blocked by now.

 

[Jayboz]

Why don’t you send both of your slates

You know, that thought crossed my mind. I don't even care if they do one of my razors. Just do one of their own and tell me theres an issue or youre an idiot and better stick to film or DE.

I’ll give it another go and maybe post a request for testing.

 

[SliceOfLife]

Are you comfortable honing on a small hone? Does slightly take away from the mindless ease of a Thuri... but not because you have to do anything tricky... just need steady hands... and the boxed celebrated 5x1" do still come up in the $50 or so range on occasion... Jumping up to a DB 6" will probably slightly more than double that ($110-150 or so). And double it again for a (label/remnants) 7" in dark blue (Maybe not quite, I feel like Labeled DB 7" go $160-250).

Anything green will at least double that price again... so unless you catch an underpriced BIN before anyone else; forget those stones. Though again; occasionally celebrated in light green/grey with bad lighting or dried slurry on em slip by so that is the one way to get a "cheap" green if you get real lucky.

Anyway point is; if you can do small; the boxed celebrated stones are probably your best bet. All prices based on what I've casually noticed on eBay lately.

I use Jnats; but I am not a good person to recommend how to buy a good one cheap. I like to gamble on vintage stones and get lucky. Which I'm pretty sure is not the best way if you're actually looking for a singular hone to use on a day to day basis.


No tips on how to snag a PDSO... All the PDSO are for me.

 

[H Brad Boonshaft]

Agree with all the above.

Try making your best 1um edge, put a sheet of paper under a new sheet of 1um and do 3-5 laps. Strop 10 laps on linen 10 on leather.

Tape the spine with 1 layer of new tape, Kapton if you have it. eBay Kapton is cheap and wears like iron.

Do 3-5 light, slow laps on one of your clean slates, no slurry, strop 10 laps on linen 10 on leather, and test shave.

I think you may be doing too many or too heavy or too thick slurry laps and expecting too much from these stones.

You should have everything you need to get smoking edges. It is just refining your technique. But some Chrome Oxide will not hurt.

 

[lightfoot]

You know, that thought crossed my mind. I don't even care if they do one of my razors. Just do one of their own and tell me theres an issue or youre an idiot and better stick to film or DE.

I’ll give it another go and maybe post a request for testing.

Yeah it might be worth it just to get some closure one way or the other.

Considering the fact that you don’t want to invest further in honing gear it might be good to get some solid feedback.

 

[Jayboz]

Ill check out online sites for thuris mentioned, but if im gambling ill head to the baccarat or pai gow table. At least i know what im doing there.

 

[Jayboz]

Tape the spine with 1 layer of new tape,

I have one just finished on 1u/paper, but with tape. If im doing this slate microbevel, just add another layer for total of two?

 

[H Brad Boonshaft]

Yup, to make a micro bevel with just the slate. It can easily be undone on the 1um.

 

[SliceOfLife]

Ill check out online sites for thuris mentioned, but if im gambling ill head to the baccarat or pai gow table. At least i know what im doing there.

Yeah DONT gamble unless you're sure.

A LOT of sellers deliberately try to fraudulently represent stones as Escher/Thuris. It varies in sophistication from guys cutting modern welsh slate to Thuri dimensions and claiming "Vintage Thuri from German Estate" to guys listing a fully Labeled Norton India stone as "Vintage German Razor Hone. ESCHER?"

 

[Christian1212]

Just to add in on looking at an escher purchase. See if someone on the forum will sell you one. Chances are they will put an edge on one of your razors so you know how that stone performs.

 

[JPO]

Ill check out online sites for thuris mentioned, but if im gambling ill head to the baccarat or pai gow table. At least i know what im doing there.

(Finishers i currently have are green/black shadow and PA Blue Slate)

I would not go searching for a unicorn slate type of stone. I think you're better served with learning the stones you already have, or get something like a jnat.
I only have two slates. One black shadow and a unknown type. They both perform quite similar.
I get the best results if I use them after a good 8k stone. Slurry from diamond plates just rounds the apex in my opinion. Just a little slurry generated with a nagura can help to get a smoother experience on the stone. I am not sure if the slurry does anything good to the edge tbh.

 

[Wid]

I have a Pa slate from Matt and mine makes for a fine finisher. I find oil is best and with a maxed out 8K or higher edge works well.

Don’t have a Green Shadow but I do have the black variant. It too is capable of a decent edge.

So going from either 3 or 1um film should give a very nice shaving edge.

I’m in northern Illinois if you are close I’d be happy to sit with you and see what we can come up with.

Or I’d be more than happy to hone a razor and finish it on the stone of your chose

 

[Jayboz]

Slurry from diamond plates just rounds the apex in my opinion. Just a little slurry generated with a nagura can help to get a smoother experience on the stone.

There is the possibility Im marring hone surface with slurry stone. Anything wrong with making a little slurry on opposite side of stone and transferring to honing side?

 

[Jayboz]

Appreciate that @Wid, unfortunately not close to IL.

Im gonna try some of the suggestions from members and see what happens. I may take you up on that offer though and send you the GS for a trial. Would be nice to get an experienced opinion on it.

 

[Wid]

There is the possibility Im marring hone surface with slurry stone. Anything wrong with making a little slurry on opposite side of stone and transferring to honing side?

Don’t use slurry with either of those slates. Not when coming from 1um film. All you do is set your edge back. I might be in a minority but I really don’t like slurry on slates. The exception being a Thuri

 

[lightfoot]

Refresh the surfaces with the black 600# wet/dry sandpaper from the auto parts store and rinse the daylights out of the stones.

Try finishing on water and a squiggle of shave soap…

 

[JPO]

There is the possibility Im marring hone surface with slurry stone. Anything wrong with making a little slurry on opposite side of stone and transferring to honing side?

I would just start with a freshly lapped surface. The stone will also release some particles you don't see. That is all you need. Try without slurry. The surface condition can make a difference.
These slates can scratch up easily, and release larger grit, which does not breake down like e.g. a jnat.

 

[Darth Scandalous]

Don’t use slurry with either of those slates. Not when coming from 1um film. All you do is set your edge back. I might be in a minority but I really don’t like slurry on slates. The exception being a Thuri

Can't speak for all slates, but that is my experience on this one as well.