Binsui vs Washita For Bevel Setting

[lightfoot]

So I would be very appreciative of any feedback in regards to the suitability of a Binsui stone for straight razor bevel setting work.

Are these stones really even appropriate for Razor use or are these really more of a knife stone?

How do these stones cut vs let’s say a Washita (just for a reference)? Thanks

 

[Gamma]

We all know there are people using these stones for these purposes so if they are doing that then obviously they can be considered to be appropriate for those users.

 

[ZeelandsRoem]

I honed a few razor on binsui this week and one of them just a few hours ago. I really enjoy my binsui stones. I wouldn't say they are super easy to use, or at least not as easy as a good synthetic stone. They require some time with them to understand the stone(s), how they fit in your progression and what you can achieve with them. Once you dial in all the details, then they can be great.

 

[lightfoot]

One thing I found attractive about these stones is that they often seem to be cut a little wider than most Washita stones.

According to one source the quarry location that currently mines Binsui is extracted from contains a mix of Amakusa so what you get might not be 100% Binsui but may still be very useable I suspect.

It seems that the original quarry location was shut down due to instability from the 2016 quake.

 

[captaincaed]

I find a Washita cuts better with pressure, which I don't want to use much of with a razor. If I were resetting a bevel on a razor I were already shaving with that's just starting to get dull, might work fine. If I were cutting a new bevel on an eBay razor, I imagine I'd be there a long long time. Days. But I've done full Ark progressions and it's pretty enjoyable actually. It's much easier to start if your razor is sharp in the 800-1k range before going to a Washita or soft Ark.

Generally, Arks of any kind work best for me when I'm in "touch up" mode. But if I need to GRIND, then I'm calling Mr Norton.

I mean really I'm probably using a coarse Japanese water stone or diamond plate/ stone but that's a less funny sentence.

I don't know a thing about binsui so I'm sorry I can't help much with the main question.

 

[Gamma]

There are all types of Binsui. They are not all the same. Some are waaay soft, others are loaded with uneven grit, some are pretty hard, some fast, some slow. There are Binsui sold in hardware stores for tools, and others sold for sword polishing.

Similarly, there are all types of Washita, some work well with razors, some do not. Softer, harder, coarser, finer, all types. They don't all need a lot of pressure to work well for fine edges, although they might cut more or faster with more pressure. Some are not all that good for honing razors.

It really depends on the specific stone. Doesn't make sense to say "Washita is like this" and Binsui is like that" It's not fair to do that actually, it causes confusion. There are too many variations on each theme for generalizations of that sort.

 

[Bayamontate]

Never liked Washita, not that there is anything wrong with them but simply I haven’t found one that fits my honing style. Harder Binsui I like, I have one I wouldn’t consider a bevel setter that with thick slurry sets bevels well.

 

[lightfoot]

Finding a good one could be mostly dependent upon communicating with a vendor that could vouch for a particular stone as being a good fit based on a potential buyer’s expectations I would think.

You would probably need a seller that really knows what he has…

 

[Steve56]

A harder one with a diamond slurry will work, but I don’t really know if it’s any better than a synth for example. By the time you get to the next stone in the progression, bevel setter marks are gone no matter what the bevel setter was.

 

[JPO]

I have been tempted to get one of these types of lower grit jnat for a while. I usually put in the order in the basked to sleep on it. Then I wake up and come to my senses
I could probably set bevels even on a fast Awasedo just by generating some diamond plate slurry. It would probably take less time then cleaning up the rougher scratches left by a lower grit jnat.

 

[Gamma]

For bevel work, a lot depends on the actual bevel set that needs to be done.
A shaving razor that needs a tune up is one thing.
An auction site blade with chips, pitting, and swiss cheese is another.

A very nice edge comes from honing on Nagura bench stones, but the cost is too high now, and a lot of stone is used. t's just not practical.

Stones like Amakusa and Binsui, Aizu, Kaisei, some Aoto, some Suita, or softer non-Awasedo Tomae can be used for some of but maybe not all of the coarsest work. Some of those might not the best choice for the coarsest hardest work though. In a sword polishing progression for a blade in rough shape, it's Kongo-do, Kaisei-do, Binsui-do. Binsui it not used for harsh work, only to remove the marks left by the previous two coarser stones. But a blade brought to a polisher in good shape might start off on Binsui.

Botan on a very hard stone does a great job, but extensive work will beat up the base stone and a lot of Nagura gets used up.