What's new

Les Latneuses Hybrid Side. How are you using it?

I am trying to figure out how to get the best use out of these stones. Lately i have been using a La Lune or a Thuringian slurry stone, working with slurry and finishing on water or oil. It seems to be working well. Using coticule slurry on the stone does not feel good. I have a box of them, so i have tried different stones.

Doing a synthetic progression up to 8k-12k, and finishing on water or oil seems to work really well to.

Most of the time my Les Lat edges feels like my Arkansas edges, but a little less sharp. That is not really what i am after. I can just use a Arkansas stone and get a sharper edge.

I have one that feels just as hard as my Arkansas stone. Are they sensitive to surface prep? Is there any similarities between the Les Lat and Arkansas stones?

How are you using yours for best performance?
 
I’ve only used mine a few times. What I’ve done is; do most of the work on the yellow side using the diluticot method. Get the razor shave ready then go to the hybrid side. Finish up with 100or so x stokes on water only.
 
I’ve only used mine a few times. What I’ve done is; do most of the work on the yellow side using the diluticot method. Get the razor shave ready then go to the hybrid side. Finish up with 100or so x stokes on water only.
I think i need to follow your lead and try to max out the yellow side before i move to the hybrid side. The hybrid side is probably cutting allot slower then i though.
I will see first how the shave is from a the last test i did with the La Lune slurry to water on the hybrid. It felt sharper, but that might just be from spending more time on the stone.
I just feel there is more potential in the hybrid side and a little more range. It cuts quite fast with slurry.

The razor seem to stick to the stone to much, to early, especially on water only.

I am probably overthinking this:)
 
I max mine out on the yellow coti side and then switch to glycerin and water mixture on the hybrid side. Results have been really stunning. Very similar to my Ark finishes.
 
Pretty much as mentioned before; max out on the yellow side, a few laps on linen then hit the hybrid side with water & glycerine for around 200 laps. I have my hybrid side finished at 1.5k w&d which I personally find leaves a great finish.
 
Last edited:
Depends, many flavors of hybrid out there and they do not all perform the same. Plus, some stones with a hybrid look might not actually be from Les Lat... long story there, can't get into it here. But some of those questionable stones are just not all that great to work with.
But - trial and error usually finds the best path for any one particular stone. Generally speaking, I use a hybrid slurry stone on a hybrid base stone. I don't have a hybrid these days, but I kept my hybrid slurry stones in case I get another one.

With any stone, including hybrids, I start 'somewhere' and make adjustments accordingly. On one particular type of hybrid I am inclined to finish on a slurry that is so light you can almost not see the particulate in the water. I call it a ghost slurry. After that, the biggest contributor to finishing success, that I have found, is regulating pressure to that 'nearly non-existent' state. More than none, less than gravity's pull on the blade. Sometimes called "less than weight of the blade' pressure...takes time to get there and you can really hear that edge 'zing' on the strop.
But not every hybrid is the same so not every finish follows those guidelines. A 'painted' type of hybrid is a completely different beast.
I don't spend time comparing trial/error edges from one type of stone to edges from a different type of stone, mostly I compare two edges from the same stone to each other. Adjustments in technique either improve an edge, or they don't. I chase what works, and I leave what doesn't work alone.

To make an analogy - most days, I have some kind of fruit with breakfast; sometimes grapes, other times oranges or something else maybe. I don't compare the oranges to the grapes because there is no point to it. But I will compare one orange to another....

If I want an Escher edge, I use one, but I don't compare that edge to an edge from an Ark because if I wanted an edge off the Ark I'd just use the Ark. Once I started comparing apples to apples, things got clearer and refinement got simpler.
 
Depends, many flavors of hybrid out there and they do not all perform the same. Plus, some stones with a hybrid look might not actually be from Les Lat... long story there, can't get into it here. But some of those questionable stones are just not all that great to work with.
But - trial and error usually finds the best path for any one particular stone. Generally speaking, I use a hybrid slurry stone on a hybrid base stone. I don't have a hybrid these days, but I kept my hybrid slurry stones in case I get another one.

With any stone, including hybrids, I start 'somewhere' and make adjustments accordingly. On one particular type of hybrid I am inclined to finish on a slurry that is so light you can almost not see the particulate in the water. I call it a ghost slurry. After that, the biggest contributor to finishing success, that I have found, is regulating pressure to that 'nearly non-existent' state. More than none, less than gravity's pull on the blade. Sometimes called "less than weight of the blade' pressure...takes time to get there and you can really hear that edge 'zing' on the strop.
But not every hybrid is the same so not every finish follows those guidelines. A 'painted' type of hybrid is a completely different beast.
I don't spend time comparing trial/error edges from one type of stone to edges from a different type of stone, mostly I compare two edges from the same stone to each other. Adjustments in technique either improve an edge, or they don't. I chase what works, and I leave what doesn't work alone.

To make an analogy - most days, I have some kind of fruit with breakfast; sometimes grapes, other times oranges or something else maybe. I don't compare the oranges to the grapes because there is no point to it. But I will compare one orange to another....

If I want an Escher edge, I use one, but I don't compare that edge to an edge from an Ark because if I wanted an edge off the Ark I'd just use the Ark. Once I started comparing apples to apples, things got clearer and refinement got simpler.
I did not know there was different "types". Out of my three stones the one labelled 1 seem to perform better then the others. It is backed with a La Lune.
Painted types, what does that mean?

I do have a les lat slurry stone that just felt to hard to use. I need to spend more time with this to see if I am able to kick up some slurry.
Is it just the yellow coticule that contains garnets?

20220324_195418.jpg
 
I agree with the earlier posters. Max out the yellow side. (If you don't like how that particular yellow side performs, then use a different stone to get to fully sharp.) I then use the hybrid side for final finishing (polishing may be a better word) under running water. I haven't found a slurry on the hybrid side to be useful.
 
I agree with the earlier posters. Max out the yellow side. (If you don't like how that particular yellow side performs, then use a different stone to get to fully sharp.) I then use the hybrid side for final finishing (polishing may be a better word) under running water. I haven't found a slurry on the hybrid side to be useful.
To me it seems like the hybrid side has more in common with an Arkansas stone then anything else. The stones i have seem to finish better after the surface is used for a while after lapping.
The ones i have vary a little in hardness. The one marked 1 is probably just as hard as my Arkansas stone. The one labelled 2 is softer, but feels allot better to use.
They are interesting stones. I just feel like there is more potential in these stones. Freshly lapped and used with e.g. slate type slurry they cut really fast.
 
Those are great examples of Lats. I recall Jarrod saying there was a time when he couldn’t get rid of them as scrap then overnight they took off in popularity.

I’ve started honing on my les lat without slurry on either side. Edges max out fairly quickly, certainly faster than when I was using slurry, which I consider achieved when the blade gets that grabby stiction feel. This is the Dr. Matt method that I’m finding extremely useful - very easy and a whole lot sharper.

I can’t say for sure but I think the hybrid side is harder than the natural side, at least it feels that way to my thumbnail.
 
Here is my hybrid. more green than yellow.
to be short, I join the comments of gamma. To answer JPO precisely here is my way with this stone which suits me:
www.rasage-traditionnel.com/t28503p600-l-affutage-du-jour#930684
View attachment 1505850
That edge is rally taken to the limit. Nice images in your link.
The last time i used my hybrid i tried to use a La Lune slurry stone. The JNAT tomo i have is too hard, and did not work well with the stone. Now i am considering getting some softer JNAT Tomo naguras to play with on the hybrid.

The La Lune slurry did speed up the stone, but i had better results just using it after a 10-12 synthetic stone.

I just feel these stones does have more versatility and potential then i have ben able to get out of them. I guess you have showed that in your post.

I will try some Shiro Suita as a nagura on the stone and see how it behaves. I try to avoid releasing too much grit from the base stone by using softer naguras.
 
Last edited:
I've only got two Les Latneuses here, so perhaps my opinion is not valid, but finishing on the hybrid side has never caused me to even consider leaving my yellow stones behind. To me, their appeal lies in their beauty, not their performance.. JMHO
 
I've only got two Les Latneuses here, so perhaps my opinion is not valid, but finishing on the hybrid side has never caused me to even consider leaving my yellow stones behind. To me, their appeal lies in their beauty, not their performance.. JMHO
I agree, but it is also nice if they can find a spot where they shine and fit in.
The yellow side is good on it's own.
 
My experience with mine, so far anyway, is I can get a plausible edge off the hybrid side, if I treat it like I would a hard ark. So a decent edge going in makes for a nicer edge coming off the hybrid. It's pretty slow, though, and the yellow side, by contrast, is very fast and also fairly coarse. It's not a one-stone razor hone, unfortunately, at least not in my hands. Needs a bridge between the yellow and the hybrid.
Where it seems to excel is with knives, starting on the yellow and deburring/refining on the hybrid. Although I'm not much of a knife guy, so take that for what it's worth. But I've been very happy with it for that, and it's quick work.
 
I did not know there was different "types". Out of my three stones the one labelled 1 seem to perform better then the others. It is backed with a La Lune.
Painted types, what does that mean?

I do have a les lat slurry stone that just felt to hard to use. I need to spend more time with this to see if I am able to kick up some slurry.
Is it just the yellow coticule that contains garnets?

View attachment 1428767

By painted I think he means not solid Hybrid a mix like this.

LLhybridcoti.jpeg
 
I've only got two Les Latneuses here, so perhaps my opinion is not valid, but finishing on the hybrid side has never caused me to even consider leaving my yellow stones behind. To me, their appeal lies in their beauty, not their performance.. JMHO

I have to agree, I’ve tried it a couple times. No real fan fare here, my other coticules are as good or better. Mine sits in the hone box.
 
Top Bottom