Best cheap hone for touch-ups

[SirChangalot]

Basically the title says it all. I'm a student on a budget so I was looking for an "inexpensive" solution. I have been looking at coticules, CNATs and Yellow lakes. I know there are Thuringian, Arkies and many other hones out there, but they seem very expensive. I would like to keep this under 42 USD (350 NOK) if bought from a professional retailer in order to avoid costums duty.
Any suggestions?

 

[Adamandlupe]

Lapping film? Spyderco uf? I have used the Spyderco uf as a finisher and I liked it, although i prefer the Chinese stone. I would suggest the Chinese stone, but you really need a way to lap it even if it is already flat in order for it to perform optimally. I have not tried the lapping film yet, but many members have with great success.

 

[SirChangalot]

Lapping film? Spyderco uf? I have used the Spyderco uf as a finisher and I liked it, although i prefer the Chinese stone. I would suggest the Chinese stone, but you really need a way to lap it even if it is already flat in order for it to perform optimally. I have not tried the lapping film yet, but many members have with great success.

Spyderco UF is a not go as it's not availible in Norway. But regarding the CNAT, I presume it would be OK to simply out a piece of wet/dry sandpaper on a flat surface and rub the honing side of the stone on that?

 

[hudson_macbeth]

lapping film on a piece of lapped marble or glass tile works wonders

 

[Steve56]

Film will be your best option at that price point and should do well for you.

You might also want to consider paste on lapped balsa, either after the film to change the feel of the edge, or by itself just as a touchup. There's an entire thread on that here somewhere. CrOx, FeOx, CBN, diamond....

Cheers, Steve

 

[SirChangalot]

Guys, can I just buy a tile and assume it's flat, or will I need to lap that too? If so, how would I do it?
Really appreciate your help guys.

 

[seattleshaver]

If you are just taking care of one straight I would think that you could just put sandpaper on a kitchen countertop to lap the 12k hone.

 

[H31N]

Guys, can I just buy a tile and assume it's flat, or will I need to lap that too? If so, how would I do it?
Really appreciate your help guys.

Usually polished ceramic tiles are very flat, polished granite is flat, but if you use it for loose grid trueing of waterstones it dishes uneven and rough. A glass plate is very good and a bigger piece of a broken glassplate is available everywhere. I got a single polished ceramic plate in 60x30 cm for 0,75 Cents here in a DIY market. If it is polished, try not to ruin it too fast by using loose grid SiC to flatten any stone you can get. Most of the time a perfect polished and flat one is best reserved for lapping film or cheap diamondplates from china.

My secret weapon to prevent slipping is a silicon baking mat, best used with a little water under and on top of it. Thin, flexible, uniform and a perfect fit for diamondplates.

 

[Jayber Crow]

You can find Thuringian and Belgian hones at flea markets for not much; they were ubiquitous at one time. Look for them and you will find them.

Hopefully you have something like flea markets in Trondheim. I was there about 25 years ago for a NATO exercise. Nice place, even in February, as I recall.
Best wishes to you.

 

[SirChangalot]

You can find Thuringian and Belgian hones at flea markets for not much; they were ubiquitous at one time. Look for them and you will find them.

Will do.

Thanks for the replies everyone.

 

[fender400]

Lapping film is the cheapest way to hone from dull to shaving sharp. You can get glass from glass shops for relatively cheap (about $5 here in the US, can't imagine it would be more expensive in Norway) as the base, as it is ultra flat in the 1/4 inch variety. Good luck!

 

[Legion]

CrOx on a balsa bench strop is cheap and easy to make yourself.

 

[Legion]

 

[Alum of Potash]

Depends on what you mean by touch-up. But yeah, a pasted thingy will help in the short run. Why not rough-sanded (P150-220) hardwood maple instead of balsa?

 

[Legion]

Depends on what you mean by touch-up. But yeah, a pasted thingy will help in the short run. Why not rough-sanded (P150-220) hardwood maple instead of balsa?

Because balsa is soft. The abrasive can work its way deeper into the wood, and then will contact the edge more evenly as the weight of the blade compresses it slightly.

 

[Adamandlupe]

Because balsa is soft. The abrasive can work its way deeper into the wood, and then will contact the edge more evenly as the weight of the blade compresses it slightly.

Question about this, how do you lap the balsa? Sandpaper? If sandpaper, what is the final grit that you use?

 

[SirChangalot]

Question about this, how do you lap the balsa? Sandpaper? If sandpaper, what is the final grit that you use?

Presumably anything above 3000 should be OK.

 

[Alum of Potash]

Because balsa is soft. The abrasive can work its way deeper into the wood, and then will contact the edge more evenly as the weight of the blade compresses it slightly.

That may explain why I've never really liked balsa, preferring to charge sanded leather. There is the sensation that the balsa shifts, altering the surface. Only way to mitigate this I've found has been to score the balsa following the length. Elsewhere, I've read that hardwoods have been charged with abrasives in the past, and perhaps these might be more stable. Can't remember the source though.

 

[Legion]

Question about this, how do you lap the balsa? Sandpaper? If sandpaper, what is the final grit that you use?

not that important. 1k will be fine. It just needs to be flat.

Use a thin in piece of balsa glued to a base rather than a thick piece, then it won't swell or shrink if the weather changes.

 

[SirChangalot]

Bought a Thuringian on German Ebay. Here is the link to the ended auction:
http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=272428866796#ht_687wt_1398

Hopefully it will hone well when I have finished lapping it.