Let's say I had a set of 6" x 2" 1k, 3k, and 6k synth stones and BBW to match. Would there be any benefit to lapping the BBW to something in the 1000x-2000x range and then using it as a finisher after the 6k?
Took a 4/8 full-hollow straight I haven't used in a while and made one swipe on my face to see what the shaving edge was like there (it needed a touch-up). Did a few dozen laps on the 3k synth followed by another few dozen on the 6k synth followed by stropping on leather. Made another swipe on my face and could feel that the edge was seriously degraded from where it had been before. Not even close for shaving, making me wonder about the 6k rating. Followed this with the 2000x lapped BBW used with a thin coating of jojoba oil, just enough to cover the surface. A few dozen laps on this, followed by another stropping--3 laterally-biassed passes on old firehose linen followed by the same on old hardware store shell and then a few dozen, light up-and-down laps on the shell. Returned to shaving and the edge was significantly improved! A very smooth shave which nonetheless could have been just a little bit closer. Edge seemed to remain the same throughout the entire shaving process. After shaving, I did a few dozen more laps on the jojoba-oiled BBW, followed by stropping as before. Gonna try to leave it like this for a little while to see what happens.
So why the jojoba oil? 2-3 years back, I was experimenting with using it on Arkansas stones. At first, it worked quite well, but then gradually, it started to build up on the surface, blocking the cutting properties of the stones. So my thought here is to load up the BBW surface with it, so as to make the BBW act finer than it would with water.
Was it as smooth as you wanted it? Mine was smooth but not where it should be relatively speaking.
Let us know if the next is any improvement over the first
It’s interesting that you posted this thread when you did. I came into possession of a Coticule/BBW combo and I’ll be shaving off it in the morning. However I’m doing this for somewhat different reasons. I’m doing a test shave from this stone (finishing with trace slurry) just as part of my initial evaluation of the stone. I’m trying to figure out where the stone belongs in a sequence. It’s intriguing how dramatically different the shave can be based on the prior stone used. How little or how much slurry was used and a few other variables can play in as well. Good luck with the next shave.
That is a good thought. I have actually lightly polished a few very aggressive barber hones on my buffer after lapping. The abrasive sticks are wax-based and after buffing it's apparent that there's a light coat of wax on the surface. It does seem to soften the action of the hones a bit. The wax might help to prevent abrasive particles coming loose a bit better too