Fine India Edge

[TexNat]

I used a fine India stone, which I previously had flattened and lapped, with mineral oil to reset a bevel today. The edge was so crisp that I was able to move to a Dan's translucent Ark for just a few minutes, which is fast for a translucent Ark, and then to a Tony Miller strop.

Just using these two stones and strop produced a hair popping edge relatively quickly.

So just wanted to share the feedback from the pleasant surprise of how nicely a fine India can work. It seems to be viable lower cost stone if someone is starting off, though it did require work to flatten it.

Here is the fine India bevel photo, which did surprise me at how clean it came out:

 

[Legion]

I've never used one on a razor, but I don't see why one couldn't be used to set a bevel. I'd probably want to use a stone or two between that and a trans Ark, though.

 

[Mr Kooby Shemayrew]

I haven’t used it with a razor yet but it is definitely a stone I wish I had bought earlier.

I liked the 8x2 India combo stone enough that I bought the 8x3’s and glued them together.
Top is a Crystalon coarse and India coarse
Bottom is an India medium and fine

 

[kayvee]

Do new stones perform as well or better than vintage ones? Also where does one use India stones vs Crystolon stones?

 

[TexNat]

Do new stones perform as well or better than vintage ones? Also where does one use India stones vs Crystolon stones?

This came from a box of ten factory seconds purchased for $20. It did need flattening, which was done with a Smith’s diamond plate, which it wore out. This India stone is very hard.

A Chrystolon coarse is pretty darn coarse.

 

[Gamma]

Lotsa options.
I've set bevels on a carborundum whetstone. Referenced here on B&B.
Also set a bevel on a carborundum barber hone - and yes, an India too.
Using stones like that can work, but there is an increased possibility of rogue gouges.
I don't see the cost offset outweighing the advantages of getting a 1k waterstone - a King 1k is less expensive.
But there are definitely alternative methods; 1k w/d sandpaper on a granite block for example.

 

[Empire straights]

This came from a box of ten factory seconds purchased for $20. It did need flattening, which was done with a Smith’s diamond plate, which it wore out. This India stone is very hard.

A Chrystolon coarse is pretty darn coarse.

I don't use razors on them except for chip removal but India stones are some of the most useful stones I have. I love my old $20 pike combo India. Some of the best knife stones made.

 

[H Brad Boonshaft]

Yes, they work, but there are much better alternatives.

A properly lapped/ground India stone is capable of producing a near mirror finish, see Precision Ground Flat Stones. A Precision ground stone is a long way from a diamond plate lapped stone, as reflected by the cost.

 

[Pack line]

I have an old fine india that lives in the kitchen. It has seen a razor if it is in need of major corrections. But then it goes through my normal bevel set. I have more then a couple indias, in the truck, travel bag, shop, tool boxes, seems to always be an india close by. I like the vintage ones, they seem to be denser, less air in the stone.

Have a couple precision ground stones also. I have use one like you would use a barbers hone. Not my first choice but I've done it. Precision ground stones are glazed intentionally. Not really used for grinding or polishing, more of a cleaning/deburring.

 

[Legion]

I have about five or six India scattered around the place. They breed if you let them.

My finest is a vintage one that has been mounted on its side for chisels. I don't know if it is glazed with age or what, but I can get a sharper knife and tool edge off that one than all the others. As well as chisels, the sides are a good size for pocket knives.

 

[Empire straights]

I have about five or six India scattered around the place. They breed if you let them.

My finest is a vintage one that has been mounted on its side for chisels. I don't know if it is glazed with age or what, but I can get a sharper knife and tool edge off that one than all the others. As well as chisels, the sides are a good size for pocket knives.



View attachment 1702443

I have a 6x2 pike fine one with the tiger stamp and it is a match for color for yours. It's much finer than my norton combo India but I don't know if it's glaze or production but it is pretty different.

 

[Bowmaker]

I've also used older glazed India stones to set bevels, without issue.

 

[Bowmaker]

Do new stones perform as well or better than vintage ones? Also where does one use India stones vs Crystolon stones?

The Crystolon stones self slurry and are softer, faster, for when material removal is needed. The India's are harder and create cleaner edges.

 

[Empire straights]

The Crystolon stones self slurry and are softer, faster, for when material removal is needed. The India's are harder and create cleaner edges.

The quick cut India stones are awsome for tools. They're AlOx but have the structure and softness of crystolon stones.

 

[Legion]

I have a 6x2 pike fine one with the tiger stamp and it is a match for color for yours. It's much finer than my norton combo India but I don't know if it's glaze or production but it is pretty different.

Yeah, from memory that one has the tiger stamp.

 

[Alum of Potash]

This thread takes me back around eight years or so. I was getting pretty good edges with beater razors found off the 'Bay with a medium India > Dan's soft Arkansas > Dan's translucent Arkansas or a fine India > Dan's hard Arkansas > Dan's black hard Arkansas progression. The Indias are touted as being aggressive, grunt-level stones for gardening shears and the like, but once they become charged with swarf, they mellow a bit, and my experience has been that it is hard to bring them back to their original fighting strength afterwards. I've tried Brillo pads, 80x garnet sandpaper, emery cloth, which help a bit. Others have used diamond plates to dress their grunt-level oil-stones and soft Arkansas stones, but that has always killed the diamond plate from my experience. Perhaps an occasional soak in Simple Green or something analogous would do the trick?

 

[Legion]

This thread takes me back around eight years or so. I was getting pretty good edges with beater razors found off the 'Bay with a medium India > Dan's soft Arkansas > Dan's translucent Arkansas or a fine India > Dan's hard Arkansas > Dan's black hard Arkansas progression. The Indias are touted as being aggressive, grunt-level stones for gardening shears and the like, but once they become charged with swarf, they mellow a bit, and my experience has been that it is hard to bring them back to their original fighting strength afterwards. I've tried Brillo pads, 80x garnet sandpaper, emery cloth, which help a bit. Others have used diamond plates to dress their grunt-level oil-stones and soft Arkansas stones, but that has always killed the diamond plate from my experience. Perhaps an occasional soak in Simple Green or something analogous would do the trick?

In the old literature they say to scrub them out with kerosene.

 

[Pack line]

This thread takes me back around eight years or so. I was getting pretty good edges with beater razors found off the 'Bay with a medium India > Dan's soft Arkansas > Dan's translucent Arkansas or a fine India > Dan's hard Arkansas > Dan's black hard Arkansas progression. The Indias are touted as being aggressive, grunt-level stones for gardening shears and the like, but once they become charged with swarf, they mellow a bit, and my experience has been that it is hard to bring them back to their original fighting strength afterwards. I've tried Brillo pads, 80x garnet sandpaper, emery cloth, which help a bit. Others have used diamond plates to dress their grunt-level oil-stones and soft Arkansas stones, but that has always killed the diamond plate from my experience. Perhaps an occasional soak in Simple Green or something analogous would do the trick?

SiC on a steel plate is as close to original as i have found.

 

[Alum of Potash]

Thanks guys. I have tried petroleum distillates before. Might try it again with some steel wool or a wire brush at the risk of introducing uneven wear. That said, I've found Indias to be fairly hard to lap. Think I've tried wet/dry sandpaper on a plate there (as well as an emery cloth) but never loose SiC on a plate, which is quite effective with Arkansas stones.

 

[Bowmaker]

A crystolon is usually within reach when I use an India and that's how I dress the surface of an India. Preventive maintenance or maybe just a matter of convenience.
I've never given up the old three stone method either.