Llyn Idwal/Grecian/Charnley—A Outstanding Finisher-And Looks As Good As It Hones

[captaincaed]

WOA(H)! Nice pickup on the DH .

What's the stone in the final pic...?


[EDIT - Oh this is the Idwal thread... I'm guessing it's an Idwal then!]

I believe it's a Charnley (I’m not as familiar with the historic threads on this forum, so I realize this may be in the wrong place!)
It has some pale pink spots toward the top, but they're pretty obscure in that picture. Here's a better one. It's a brick though! It'll cover almost the whole length of a razor.

 

[cotedupy]

I believe it's a Charnley (I’m not as familiar with the historic threads on this forum, so I realize this may be in the wrong place!)
It has some pale pink spots toward the top, but they're pretty obscure in that picture. Here's a better one. It's a brick though! It'll cover almost the whole length of a razor.
View attachment 1484015

Oh yeah sorry - definitely CF by the look of it (my computer has terrible colour resolution, can see better looking on my phone).

Nice one!

 

[cotedupy]

Here’s something I’d always rather fancied getting my hands on, the Yellow Lake Idwal. This is on the coarser side of medium for LI.

And a family shot for all you YL fans (@Wid @Matt O @ables @Legion). Idwal, Red Box YL, Yellow Box YL, AB Salmen wooden box stone.

 

[Wid]

Here’s something I’d always rather fancied getting my hands on, the Yellow Lake Idwal. This is on the coarser side of medium for LI.

View attachment 1496516

View attachment 1496517


And a family shot for all you YL fans (@Wid @Matt O @ables @Legion). Idwal, Red Box YL, Yellow Box YL, AB Salmen wooden box stone.

View attachment 1496518

Sweet

 

[Empire straights]

Here’s something I’d always rather fancied getting my hands on, the Yellow Lake Idwal. This is on the coarser side of medium for LI.

View attachment 1496516

View attachment 1496517


And a family shot for all you YL fans (@Wid @Matt O @ables @Legion). Idwal, Red Box YL, Yellow Box YL, AB Salmen wooden box stone.

View attachment 1496518

I like my coarse Idwals much more than the fine ones I have. I need to try a razor on the fine ones I've gotten fairly recently. For knives though a fast, medium grit charnwood or llyn idwal(Grecians are a great example) I put them on nearly the same level as washitas for speed and range. I love the toothy, but smooth edge my Grecians leave on my work knives. I can edge up the back of my back with my pocket knife, dry, without irritation but the edge felt toothy to my fingers and it bites into everything it touches. It's very impressive really.

 

[cotedupy]

Big old Idwal brick - 8.5 x 2 x 1.5". Not tried it yet but again feels on the faster and coarser side, though could be wrong.

Originally I was probably going to sell this one... I may change my mind. I think it will be a very good stone indeed.

 

[cotedupy]

After proper lapping that stone actually feels quite fine, and will probably be more suited to razors. The SG came in at 2.72 which is low for an Idwal, and would seem to fit with my experience that lower SG Charns and Idwals tend to be finer.

A little over 1.1kg.

 

[Empire straights]

@cotedupy goodness that thing is huge!

 

[rideon66]

@cotedupy goodness that thing is huge!

That's what she said.

 

[Empire straights]

This one's is the mail. It has more red than any of my others.

 

[Empire straights]

This one's in the mail. Over priced but it's 12" x 2" and it's an old one. Box is really nice.

 

[Empire straights]

The big one came in today. Biggest stone I own. Is shaped like a "V" at a 20° pitch on each side meeting in the middle. I don't know if I'll flatten it or not. Probably once I get the itch.

 

[Empire straights]

I've started lapping this big one, and it's as hard as my black arks, if not harder. This stone turned 60 grit SiC powder into baby powder in like 45 seconds before I started it was glassy but it seems really coarse now. Surface prep I suppose. I've still got 2-3 mm to lap through and I know now that I probably won't get to enjoy this stone for another 6 months or so but I feel like it's going to be good. I touched up my pocket knife and took out a chip with this coarser charnwood. I love the fine ones on razors but the coarse ones are like washita in performance and range. I truly love every single piece of green novaculite from the UK that I have. They all have different applications but all my UK novaculite stone are top tier, heirloom quality stones. There's no telling how many generations some passed through, and will continue if I have anything to do about it. Learning how to hone straight razors on different natural hone, with many different charteristics completely changed my to sharpening game. I will forever be greatful to this place and the wise ones here because I've probably saved most of the rest of my body/back/joints from more damage by having tools that are pristine in the sharpness that is picked specifically for the job at hand. This place changed my life, plus I actually shave now which my wife appreciates. I never liked disposables they always eat my face.

 

[Legion]

I've started lapping this big one, and it's as hard as my black arks, if not harder. This stone turned 60 grit SiC powder into baby powder in like 45 seconds before I started it was glassy but it seems really coarse now. Surface prep I suppose. I've still got 2-3 mm to lap through and I know now that I probably won't get to enjoy this stone for another 6 months or so but I feel like it's going to be good. I touched up my pocket knife and took out a chip with this coarser charnwood. I love the fine ones on razors but the coarse ones are like washita in performance and range. I truly love every single piece of green novaculite from the UK that I have. They all have different applications but all my UK novaculite stone are top tier, heirloom quality stones. There's no telling how many generations some passed through, and will continue if I have anything to do about it. Learning how to hone straight razors on different natural hone, with many different charteristics completely changed my to sharpening game. I will forever be greatful to this place and the wise ones here because I've probably saved most of the rest of my body/back/joints from more damage by having tools that are pristine in the sharpness that is picked specifically for the job at hand. This place changed my life, plus I actually shave now which my wife appreciates. I never liked disposables they always eat my face.

Yeah, after coming off SIC powder Idwalls and Charnleys feel really rough and strange. The good news is that it is not too hard to smooth that with wet dry paper. I usually go 60 grit SIC to flatten, then 120, 240, 600 paper. You might only need one sheet of each.

 

[Empire straights]

Yeah, after coming off SIC powder Idwalls and Charnleys feel really rough and strange. The good news is that it is not too hard to smooth that with wet dry paper. I usually go 60 grit SIC to flatten, then 120, 240, 600 paper. You might only need one sheet of each.

I've got loose dog up to 400# and then I got done AlOx powder that is 1k for polishing. I got diamond plates too. The depth is the problem. I've flattened lots of Charnleys, I hope this one doesn't smooth out. If it stays aggressive, with its length, it'll be a beast for heavy work. I got tons of fine, razor stones. Naturals that eat steel like an India stone are not so common and are an absolute treat. I got one charnley that's about 4-6k and I love it for knives, my Grecian is the closest comparison.

 

[cotedupy]

Here's an Idwal I found recently that's a properly good and quick stone. The video of the structure might as well be that of a Washita.

 

[Empire straights]

Here's an Idwal I found recently that's a properly good and quick stone. The video of the structure might as well be that of a Washita.


View attachment 1536209

View attachment 1536210

Around my house my son and I have dubbed our llyn Idwals as welsh washitas

 

[cotedupy]

Gonna try this one out later but feels like it'll be a very nice stone; typically fine-grained, but not as hard as they sometimes are. 8 x 1.75 x 1.5"

 

[cotedupy]

Here's a thin 9x2 that I've just cleaned up, and I'm rather pleased about what came out in the wash...

This is only the third Grecian I've ever found; I have a smaller more razor-sized stone which is fairly fine, a labelled 5x2 slip stone which is coarser, and now this which feels like it's going to be coarsest and fastest of all.

Without having the two in hand it's slightly difficult to describe how these stones differ from 'normal' Idwals. But they have a nicer, less hard and glassy feel to them, and the the dark swirly patterns are quite distinct. They appear like they're set within the stone rather than on the surface, and have a holographic effect which makes them very noticeable at certain angles, but can't be seen at others.

Really looking forward to giving it a spin later.

 

[Frank Shaves]

Bought my first Llyn Idwal today - fine grit 9.1 x 2 x 0.8 inch green with dark markings from a known seller on eBay.

I have been watching these stones for about six months with the goal of finding a 2-inch-wide stone less than 1-inch thick that I can hand hold. Thought it would be fun to own a stone from the UK to go with my old Sheffield razors. Will be fun to see how the stone performs!

Seller's pic.