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Favorite Natural Stone Size

I have been reading and reading about natural stones, and it seems as if many folks prefer stones between 8 x 3 x 1 to 6 x 2 x 1/2 depending on whether they hone on a bench or in the hand. I am not much of a gamer but here goes...

You're talking with your neighbor and the conversation shifts to your interest in shaving with a SR. Your neighbor then explains how his/her family owns mines in Arkansas, Belgium, Germany and Japan, and offers you a Washita (yes, I said it was a game), a black/translucent Arkansas, a Coticule, a Thuringian and a Jnat, but you have to tell/supply your neighbor with one size.

What size do you tell your neighbor and why?
 
As big as he’ll give me.

Favorite to use though? 1.5-2” wide 8-12” or longer.


Like the feel of that width under the razor and longer is better. I almost never hand hone unless the stone is shaped in such a way to make it easier than bench use (generally <4” long and 2+” wide)
 
8x3 is my go to for every stone, and so that's the size I would tell him. I would be very happy with a full collection of 8x3".
 
As big as he’ll give me.

Favorite to use though? 1.5-2” wide 8-12” or longer.


Like the feel of that width under the razor and longer is better. I almost never hand hone unless the stone is shaped in such a way to make it easier than bench use (generally <4” long and 2+” wide)

lol, i agree with @SliceOfLife

width 1.5-2.5" length 5-10" though...
 

Steve56

Ask me about shaving naked!
Having cut my honing teeth on jnats, for razors I prefer stones from the 136x80mm ‘leather’ (barber size in Japanese) to the 190x70 (60 cut) which is the largest size that you can conveniently hand hold. But I wouldn’t turn down a full bench on a stand any day depending on the price and quality.

136 x 80 is a good razor size because it’s short. As Iwasaki mentioned, when you shorten your razor honing strokes, pressure ‘magically’ disappears. 60 cut is desirable for the above reason, but it’s also big enough for all but the largest knives, and in Japanese stones, it’s considerably cheaper than full bench. Jnats go up exponentially in price with size all else being equal, and the price difference between a 190mm long stone and a 205mm long stone can be quite large.
 
1 3/4" x 5 1/2" or there about. Easier to deal with sticking and skipping issues especially on kamisori's and that size fits well in my hand.
 
I’m still learning and through this process I started appreciating/preferring narrower stones. There is more benefits/advantages with narrower stones IMlimitedE, not everything is always dead flat or perfect. I am considering converting my 3” flatty’s to convex surfaces.
 
Not a fan of short stones. I have them, I use them, and when they are spectacular I wish they were full size 😀
I do have a liking for narrow Jnats though. 5cm or so. I have seen them sold as kamisori stones since most Kamis are short but I find them to work great with western razors, specially the ones that have warp issues etc.
 

Steve56

Ask me about shaving naked!
@alex1921 I understand and agree, I’d love my small stones to be big.

Getting off the strict size question of the OP a little, WRT jnats, my strategy is to get the very best razor edge maker, regardless of size or purity within my ability to compensate. I can work around size and purity issues, I can hand hold small irregular stones, I can pick lines, smooth cracks, etc, but I cannot make a coarse stone finer.
 
The perfect size depends on the razor and what you are trying (or need) to do. Some times a big bench slab can make fast easy work of honing, sometimes you need a skinny stone to work the edge easily, etc.....
 
When I put in a order for a razor finisher (asagi tomae) to be cut, I didn't really care about size. I told him I want the hardest stone he has without any inclusions. Told him my price range then sizes 150-200mm x 40-70mm. To get the right kind of stone comes first then size imo.
Having that said, I have a preference for about 50mm wide jnats, as it's easier to work the slurry when you can cover the stones surface with the razor.
 
As a beginner, I like a stone that’s at least as wide as the razor. This helps me to keep the edge straight without introducing smiles or frowns. It’s also easier to maintain light pressure over the larger area. 8x3” is about right for me. This is an easy size to handle and lap with a standard Atoma plate. Longer up to 12” is good too but not required. 1” thick is a nice size that gives you some longevity in the stone, added durability, makes it easy to hold while lapping and means you can use it with or without a bench stand. I can see the benefit in narrow hones if you are working warped blades or curved edges. As most of my razors are new modern production, I don’t have these additional challenges to deal with. For skilled hands, size is probably less of an issue. For a beginner there’s more technique required to use smaller stones effectively.
 
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Since I posed the initial question, I have bought an 8 x 3 x 3/4 inch Vermont green slate, and 6 x 2 x 3/4 inch soft and hard Arks, and I have an 5.6 x 3.1 x 0.8 inch jnat koppa on order. I realize that I am still a babe in the woods, but the math just doesn't lie - 8 x 3 x 3/4 is twice the volume and weight, and about twice the cost as 6 x 2 x 3/4. So I am trying to learn to hand hold. Another size worth paying attention to 130 x 70 mm (5.1 x 2.8 inches). I see that Ardennes-Coticule sells Cotis in this size.

And I would have to guess that there is a relationship between availability and size for both vintage and new natural stones with there just being fewer high-quality stones available in larger sizes.
 
I have all sizes but over the years I have settled on a 6X2 for my all around choice as well as a butterscotch trans ark material. I do use them all when the need arises but I do have preferences. I do have quite a few I need to sell as I have finally whittled it down to what I need without excess. Particular stones within groups do matter. One may work better for me when the identical brother may not. I am picky.
 
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