Has someone used Griffith Shaving? I'm looking for all new stones. Could someone put together a shopping list of the proposed items for a straight razor. He has coticules, 1K, Belgians, Vermont, French stones. Interested to see what honers like these days. Are European Thuringia's still a thing? Are they widely available? Do people have vintage stones that are still sought after? What is the procedure for lapping stones? Can someone recommend a new lapping rig, new diamond stones for me.
Griffith Shaving
- Thread starter nickm
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As another person named.... nickm welcome. Yes Griffith is good. I've gotten a few good stones from them. A coticule with slurry stone will be a little tricky to learn but if you email them and get them to help you pick a hard/ fine one you should be able to do everything from bevel set to finish. I used to dislike them but now they're my favorite stones for every bladed implement I own. Garnets(the abrasive in coticules and Belgian blue whetstones) will cut anything but a diamond. A fast one will melt the hardest to steels I own. I have an axe that is insanely hard, even an india stone takes some work but coticules will eat the hardest stuff. You will probably not like a coticule at first. They're a little harder to learn for beginners but with a slurry stone you'll be able to do everything you need quite well and it'll save you money on rocks. At least until you go off the deep end like the rest of us and are sitting on rock piles worth more than their wives wedding and engagement rings combined. Have fun, lot of good info here. If you do go the coticule route I suggest getting a natural combo. You probably won't appreciate the blue side for a while but eventually you'll get there, especially if it's a really fine one.
Chandu
I Waxed The Badger.
I have bought a couple of stones from them over the years. Good service.
For lapping in general I'd get a glass plate and some 60 grit and some higher say 200 grit silicon carbide - generally. Flatten it with the coarse and when done give it some time on the finer. Silicon carbide is friable and breaks down. The 200 will get much finer with use. So will the 60 for that matter but for finishing up, it's nicer to be able to start at a finer grit.
Specifically, to lap a Coticule you might start with 200. They are fairly soft. The garnet is hard, but the binder is not and you want to not waste the stone. If you intend to lap with Diamond, I'd look at Atoma. Probably a 400 grit for a Coti. Diamond plate lapping will be less messy for certain.
For lapping in general I'd get a glass plate and some 60 grit and some higher say 200 grit silicon carbide - generally. Flatten it with the coarse and when done give it some time on the finer. Silicon carbide is friable and breaks down. The 200 will get much finer with use. So will the 60 for that matter but for finishing up, it's nicer to be able to start at a finer grit.
Specifically, to lap a Coticule you might start with 200. They are fairly soft. The garnet is hard, but the binder is not and you want to not waste the stone. If you intend to lap with Diamond, I'd look at Atoma. Probably a 400 grit for a Coti. Diamond plate lapping will be less messy for certain.
I bought a Coticule from Griffith a couple of months ago. Great stone, great service.
I've had a couple of email conversations with them aswell, pleasure to speak with and answered all my questions.
I've had a couple of email conversations with them aswell, pleasure to speak with and answered all my questions.
I love griffin shaving goods. If learning to hone I would start with synthetics though. If jumping into the coticule rabbit hole expect most stones to be pre finishers until you know what to look for.
Do you own any stones currently? What's your experience level? Are you building up a setup from scratch? If so, you'll be okay for edge maintenance with an 8k and a 12 synthetic and an Atoma plate if you don't like the idea of lapping with sandpaper on a confirmed flat surface (tile or piece of glass). The lower stuff can be had later, when needed.
There are a million ways to do the same job.
There are a million ways to do the same job.
Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
Griffith is solid. Many of us here have bought from him, and I can't recall any complaints. Bear in mind, everyone has an off day once in a while but he is pretty good.
Just bought a razor last night, shipped today. Used Griffith many times, always good.
I definitely concur. Even with the off day Griffith had once out of all the purchases I’ve made he went out of his way to sort it out ASAP. I would have zero hesitation of making any purchases from Griffith.
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Basic carver's set from Lee Valley. Mine is 4"x1" and slip stones both 1000 and 4000 grit and a chromium oxide bar with vegetable tanned leather. I had a DMT combination 300/800 or 1200 blue green. Experience is 20 years as a woodworker instrument maker and cabinetry. Examples of shapes would be a wood bowl or a square or rectangular cabinet door or one of those mortise locks from very old doors. Diamond stone needs to be replaced. The rectangles are fine for rounded edges such as a bowl carving tool though are not suitable for flat surfaces anymore. The slip stones are really simple and were designed to be used by farmers in the field to do a quick edge dressing.
The 1000 stone is fine for me once lapped properly to make new bevels. The 4000 is enough to maintain the edge. The chromium oxide works with strop linen and is enough to remove micro burrs. The result is the professional honing job in 2022 to make the edge is working fine. And the stones effective at bringing back the edge to sharpen arm hair. It is not sharp enough for daily use. HHT fails.
Griffith I am looking for European and American stones.
The 1000 stone is fine for me once lapped properly to make new bevels. The 4000 is enough to maintain the edge. The chromium oxide works with strop linen and is enough to remove micro burrs. The result is the professional honing job in 2022 to make the edge is working fine. And the stones effective at bringing back the edge to sharpen arm hair. It is not sharp enough for daily use. HHT fails.
Griffith I am looking for European and American stones.
Very good. I've purchased from them over the years.
What stone is that? Eventually in going to buy a la Lorraine so I can compare to my suspected ones. Everything I've had from them was perfect.
Tastsuyama (Dragon Mountain) 200x75mm (8x3") 1000/6000 Dual Grit Sharpening Stone
It's from 1stone? Is it fast? I might need a new knife stone eventually. That's a synth waterstone combo right?
I had to replace my king 1000k. I just bought but I'll run this weekend and let you know. Yes, it's combo 1000/6000k.
I want to get a better synth 1k, I was looking at gs stones,I hear good things from smart people. I use Turkeys or coarse coticules or washita stones for that work. Dalmores and Pyrenees(saurat) have been picking up that load lately. India stones are great but aren't as fast as waterstones or glass but they're fast. So my naturals that work that range like to wear and honestly I don't want to eat my favorite rocks up honing other people's blades. I want to pick up a king 1k just because.
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Kings are great value/performance and one I owned work great until I drop it.
If I were starting from scratch, here is what I would buy:
One set of synthetic stones. My favorites are Shapton HR 1000, Shapton HR 3000 or 4000, Shapton HR 8000, and Naniwa Gouken 12000 (20 mm version).
One new Coticule directly from Ardennes-Coticule. Ask Rob for a stone that is good for honing razors.
One new hard black or hard translucent Arkansas from Dan's Whetstone. Dan calls hard black True Hard Arkansas (Extra Fine) and hard translucent Translucent (Extra Fine). You can save a few bucks by buying a Dan's stone from Knife Center or Sharpening Supplies.
After you absorb all of this, then start hunting for vintage Arkansas, Coticule and Japanese natural stones (JNATs) plus anything else that strikes your fancy.
Welcome to the rabbit hole!
One set of synthetic stones. My favorites are Shapton HR 1000, Shapton HR 3000 or 4000, Shapton HR 8000, and Naniwa Gouken 12000 (20 mm version).
One new Coticule directly from Ardennes-Coticule. Ask Rob for a stone that is good for honing razors.
One new hard black or hard translucent Arkansas from Dan's Whetstone. Dan calls hard black True Hard Arkansas (Extra Fine) and hard translucent Translucent (Extra Fine). You can save a few bucks by buying a Dan's stone from Knife Center or Sharpening Supplies.
After you absorb all of this, then start hunting for vintage Arkansas, Coticule and Japanese natural stones (JNATs) plus anything else that strikes your fancy.
Welcome to the rabbit hole!
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