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Charnley Forest show off your Charnwood

Only on a test razor no shave yet. Had to try an edge from a friend tonight.
It looks like a higher grit than others - although impossible to tell from a photo of course. I'm wondering what it feels like on a stone at least. How it behaves under running water.

And of course the edge it left...
 
Finally got my first one.
 

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It’s definitely hard but not as hard as a Surgical Black, it’s just a bit harder than my Trout Stone. 80grit SIC did the grunt work and it didn’t take to long. The 220 grit wet/dry much longer and the 600 longer still.
Once I’m home I’m going to go back thru a full SIC progression to 600 and then smooth it out with wet/dry and see where that gets me.
 
It’s definitely hard but not as hard as a Surgical Black, it’s just a bit harder than my Trout Stone. 80grit SIC did the grunt work and it didn’t take to long. The 220 grit wet/dry much longer and the 600 longer still.
Once I’m home I’m going to go back thru a full SIC progression to 600 and then smooth it out with wet/dry and see where that gets me.
Any updates? How are you finding the stone?
 
Thusfar the Charnwood definitely adds refinement to an Escher and Coti edge. I’ll be home with all of my gear next week so I’ll really be able to give it a thorough testing. Curious to see how it follows my Jnat.
 
It’s definitely hard but not as hard as a Surgical Black, it’s just a bit harder than my Trout Stone. 80grit SIC did the grunt work and it didn’t take to long. The 220 grit wet/dry much longer and the 600 longer still.
Once I’m home I’m going to go back thru a full SIC progression to 600 and then smooth it out with wet/dry and see where that gets me.
Wow, 80 grit would be hard on a spine I would think? How many laps on an 80 grit stone?
 
Wow, 80 grit would be hard on a spine I would think? How many laps on an 80 grit stone?
I used 80 grit SIC to lap the stone, not hone the razor. Once I’m home I’m going to re-lap it with 80 thru 600 SIC and get it ready for razors. The jump from 80 SIC to 220 wet/dry to 600 wet/dry was too much and the stone needs further refinement to get it to where I want it.
 
I used 80 grit SIC to lap the stone, not hone the razor. Once I’m home I’m going to re-lap it with 80 thru 600 SIC and get it ready for razors. The jump from 80 SIC to 220 wet/dry to 600 wet/dry was too much and the stone needs further refinement to get it to where I want it.
Thank you brother. You've caused me to try to learn something about the Charnley Forest stones. I've read they are slow, but provide a good edge.

"All my father’s men used the “Charnley Forest”, a natural British stone resembling slate, I have vivid memories of the incessant rubbing that was necessary before a keen edge on the tool could be obtained on them. They varied slightly in quality, but even the very best were dreadfully slow; and all demanded an abnormal amount of labour, to lighten which we sometimes applied fine emery powder to the surface. This quicked the process, but left a raw unsatisfactory edge to the….. In the year 1889 the “Washita”, an imported stone, appeared on the English market, and was hailed with delight by woodworkers, who straight away discarded there “Charnley Forests” for ever.”
Sean Hellman: Natural stones, the Charnley Forest stone
 
Thank you brother. You've caused me to try to learn something about the Charnley Forest stones. I've read they are slow, but provide a good edge.

"All my father’s men used the “Charnley Forest”, a natural British stone resembling slate, I have vivid memories of the incessant rubbing that was necessary before a keen edge on the tool could be obtained on them. They varied slightly in quality, but even the very best were dreadfully slow; and all demanded an abnormal amount of labour, to lighten which we sometimes applied fine emery powder to the surface. This quicked the process, but left a raw unsatisfactory edge to the….. In the year 1889 the “Washita”, an imported stone, appeared on the English market, and was hailed with delight by woodworkers, who straight away discarded there “Charnley Forests” for ever.”
Sean Hellman: Natural stones, the Charnley Forest stone
That's a great link - thanks for sharing
 
Thank you brother. You've caused me to try to learn something about the Charnley Forest stones. I've read they are slow, but provide a good edge.

"All my father’s men used the “Charnley Forest”, a natural British stone resembling slate, I have vivid memories of the incessant rubbing that was necessary before a keen edge on the tool could be obtained on them. They varied slightly in quality, but even the very best were dreadfully slow; and all demanded an abnormal amount of labour, to lighten which we sometimes applied fine emery powder to the surface. This quicked the process, but left a raw unsatisfactory edge to the….. In the year 1889 the “Washita”, an imported stone, appeared on the English market, and was hailed with delight by woodworkers, who straight away discarded there “Charnley Forests” for ever.”
Sean Hellman: Natural stones, the Charnley Forest stone
It's interesting, that quote, from the late 1800s, is at odds with another quote from a book on woodworking from the same period (and which I don't have time to hunt for right now). It says that the Charn is / was the most prized. A difference in taste.
 
It's interesting, that quote, from the late 1800s, is at odds with another quote from a book on woodworking from the same period (and which I don't have time to hunt for right now). It says that the Charn is / was the most prized. A difference in taste.

Without evidence it didn't happen...LOL!!:a29:

Like today, I am sure not everyone agreed, but what I quoted was from industrial use.
 
Without evidence it didn't happen...LOL!!:a29:

Like today, I am sure not everyone agreed, but what I quoted was from industrial use.
I meant to say "covering the same period" - The Village Woodworker (your quote) came oout in the 1930s. You may have a point about the 'industrial' part. It might be that the quote I'm thinking of applies to cabinet makers, who would need a finer edge, rather than estate workers & village joiners, who would need something functional and fast.
 
The Charnley is slow, but the edge it produces, even when I don’t have the stone where I want it, are very very nice. I’m not sure how it compares to an Ark but it’s not any slower than my Trout Stone. I do suspect that the viscosity of the oil does play a big role in how quickly or not it cuts.
I can understand why some may have put the Charns aside in favour of the Washita, they do cut significantly faster, but they finish no where the same as a Charn. I have a Washita at home that I use for my Swedish Axes, it’s a perfect stone for in this regard and I carry it wherever the axes go, that said I would never put the Axes to the Charn, I’d be there forever and a day.
 
I have a Washita at home that I use for my Swedish Axes, it’s a perfect stone for in this regard and I carry it wherever the axes go, that said I would never put the Axes to the Charn, I’d be there forever and a day.
would it be unwise to do a progression with an axe? washita then charn? or something in between? or being the nature of the axe, does the washita provide a sufficient sharpness?
 
would it be unwise to do a progression with an axe? washita then charn? or something in between? or being the nature of the axe, does the washita provide a sufficient sharpness?
The Charn would be useless on my Axes! The Washita is more than sufficient in terms of both sharpness and speed and if it somehow got a chip (never happened in 6 years) a file is the way to go (IMO) for a quick fix like that. I’ve used the ceramic Axe pucks from Grans and Ice Bear, the Washita is my preference.
Swedish Axe thread would be amazing!
 
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