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Pierre La Lune Impressions

I have been experimenting a bit with my new Pierre La Lune hone using it both before and after my ILR as a finisher and just before the finisher and found a few things so far. My IRL Ultrafine works better as the finisher than the pre-finisher if I'm progressing from my 1200 DMT through to a 12K Shapton. I have been trying the IRL first and last and found that using the PLL before the IRL works fine but using the IRL first tends to kill the edge. This seems odd because as a finisher on its own I think the PLL is actually a higher relative grit that yields a sharper edge.

Yesterday, I had a new Gold Dollar 66 that I was honing and got a bit lazy so after using the Dremel to push the heel forward I decided to just dull the razor and set the bevel on my DMT 1200 and go right to the PLL with a slurry from the PLL slurry stone. It cut very quickly using a hand hone and then I progressed to a few water-only laps then to the running water laps. When I tested it I was amazed at how sharp it had become without using my normal 5K 8K 12K Shapton progression. This was the fastest I had ever brought a razor up to shave-ready sharpness and the HHT-5 was successful on a longer hair than I had seen before. I was really looking forward to the shave today to see how well it performed.

It was easily the best shave I have had from one of my ground-up honing and the first time I have had a GD shave that was comparable to one of my professionally honed German or French razors. The sharpness held no rough feel at all and I had almost no feedback from the alumn block.

I think I've found my primary hone. It's a bit more expensive than a comparable ILR, but not nearly as expensive as a really low micron synthetic so comes in well for the price. In a while, I'll start looking more at JNats and Etchers but for now, I'm really happy with this stone.
 
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Steve56

Ask me about shaving naked!
I get similar HHT results after a 12K Naniwa. There’s certainly no shortage of sharp. I find the edges to be a bit ’bitey’ (aggressive), but have a friend that loves the edges.
 
I get similar HHT results after a 12K Naniwa. There’s certainly no shortage of sharp. I find the edges to be a bit ’bitey’ (aggressive), but have a friend that loves the edges.

Don't make me go buy a Naniwa 12K! 😜 The one thing I do like is that there isn't a bite like I felt from my 0.5 micron Shapton Glass. Sharpness was better on the PLL I found but the edge felt smoother, I guess that's what people mean when they talk about the feel of a synthetic edge.

Also, I found working up the edge on my synthetic stones to take longer, but it might be because I'm also getting better at sharpening. I'm going to do a 12K edge trial on my next GD 66 to see if I get similar results. There are so many variables in this art!
 
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Steve56

Ask me about shaving naked!
Yes the PLL edge is smooth, no doubt. I makes great edges but my chin doesn’t like them. I have a vintage extra fine blue La Lune on the way, that will make a fun comparison. Also, that piece of pool table slate is giving me 95%+ of the PLL edge (maybe more) with the same smoothness and without the ‘biteyness’.
 
Yes the PLL edge is smooth, no doubt. I makes great edges but my chin doesn’t like them. I have a vintage extra fine blue La Lune on the way, that will make a fun comparison. Also, that piece of pool table slate is giving me 95%+ of the PLL edge (maybe more) with the same smoothness and without the ‘biteyness’.

Both the ILR and PLL are slates so I'm not surprised that pool table slate can give a good hone. I often wonder what the shale I used to collect as a kid at my parents' cottage in Kettle Point, Ontario, Canada could do.
 
Ive got some stones coming in shortly a couple people have guessed may be old la lunes at least 2 of the 3. I'm intrigued to try them out.
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Ive got some stones coming in shortly a couple people have guessed may be old la lunes at least 2 of the 3. I'm intrigued to try them out.
View attachment 1308311View attachment 1308308View attachment 1308309View attachment 1308312View attachment 1308314View attachment 1308318View attachment 1308320

The reddish ones look like the ones I have. Let us know how they perform.

The edge (only one so far, it just arrived yesterday) from the ‘blue moon’ are not bitey.

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Nice looking stone! I have a reddish one from Griffith, and I didn't find any bite on that either. I find my edges are similar in smoothness to the ILR but sharper. I think my Corti is a smoother edge but definitely not as sharp.
 
The reddish ones look like the ones I have. Let us know how they perform.



Nice looking stone! I have a reddish one from Griffith, and I didn't find any bite on that either. I find my edges are similar in smoothness to the ILR but sharper. I think my Corti is a smoother edge but definitely not as sharp.
From the pictures it looks to me like one of the big ones is red and one is black and the red is reflecting off of it. Im not certain which is which but i think the larger one with big champher is black or maybe even a blue black color. I mainly bought them for the smaller one, i assumed the other ones were random slates but the thought of vintage la lune hadn't crossed my mind because ive only ever seen the fuscha new ones and never used one or seen an old one(not even in pictures much). They should be here in a few hours, i'll start an id thread once i can get some better pictures. It's funny how getting a random box of rocks in the mail id like opening christmas presents as a kid to me. I hope my wife doesn't have me committed one day!
 
From the pictures it looks to me like one of the big ones is red and one is black and the red is reflecting off of it. Im not certain which is which but i think the larger one with big champher is black or maybe even a blue black color. I mainly bought them for the smaller one, i assumed the other ones were random slates but the thought of vintage la lune hadn't crossed my mind because ive only ever seen the fuscha new ones and never used one or seen an old one(not even in pictures much). They should be here in a few hours, i'll start an id thread once i can get some better pictures. It's funny how getting a random box of rocks in the mail id like opening christmas presents as a kid to me. I hope my wife doesn't have me committed one day!

I used to date a geologist, sometimes I wonder what she would say about all these rocks lol.
 
@dabrock i thought that the skinny square one could be a thuri but ive never used one and i enjoy a good mystery hone. I picked a flat spot on it and run a beater practice razor for my brother in law, that'd barely shave arm hair, over it about 12 strokes and the bevel is polished pretty clearly and it's waaaaayyy sharper than it was. Im excited to lapp this one and get it in good workng condition because it's kinda busted at the moment.

Edit: it laps very easily. Dust off it is white with a diamond plate and it's kinda ash colored slurry.
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Hey guys just posting as i am still testing but awesome results thus far and easy razor refresh
My stone 8x3 2.5
Removed sticker and use both sides, one side ive slurry few time but butter smooth surface
Side where I removed sticker ( [emoji287]), moon is surprisingly best side, never have slurry just glass on two tone velvet plate
This is my fav side as silky glass, stone used thus far finisher only
Glad to have her in line up as creates smooth thuri like edge with sharpness that can be dialed in,,,,
I only do 16x strokes only , glycerin water, changing, rinsing every 5 strokes

Just reporting as I purchased out of curiosity and stone historical factors

Please note,,, in stilk testing but above yields awesome results and comfortable edge

Please also note that not all stones in same name equal,,,

Took chance up front went big and received what appears a choice slab, of this type natural
It appears was choice cut, no marks imperfections etc,,, while at first holding stone was not happy that side with sticker had blemish, but what an smooth butter side
Just reporting
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proxy.php
 
@dabrock i thought that the skinny square one could be a thuri but ive never used one and i enjoy a good mystery hone. I picked a flat spot on it and run a beater practice razor for my brother in law, that'd barely shave arm hair, over it about 12 strokes and the bevel is polished pretty clearly and it's waaaaayyy sharper than it was. Im excited to lapp this one and get it in good workng condition because it's kinda busted at the moment.

Edit: it laps very easily. Dust off it is white with a diamond plate and it's kinda ash colored slurry.
View attachment 1308451View attachment 1308452

That's a great stone by the sounds of it.
 
@dabrock i thought that the skinny square one could be a thuri but ive never used one and i enjoy a good mystery hone. I picked a flat spot on it and run a beater practice razor for my brother in law, that'd barely shave arm hair, over it about 12 strokes and the bevel is polished pretty clearly and it's waaaaayyy sharper than it was. Im excited to lapp this one and get it in good workng condition because it's kinda busted at the moment.



Edit: it laps very easily. Dust off it is white with a diamond plate and it's kinda ash colored slurry.
View attachment 1308451View attachment 1308452

I have one I found that is very similar. No idea other than a type of slate.
C47E6793-73EE-441A-AB36-C7163ABFC08A.jpeg
DB9F264C-5EC4-4D4A-928C-4CBDC7188312.jpeg
 
Hey guys just posting as i am still testing but awesome results thus far and easy razor refresh
My stone 8x3 2.5
Removed sticker and use both sides, one side ive slurry few time but butter smooth surface
Side where I removed sticker ( [emoji287]), moon is surprisingly best side, never have slurry just glass on two tone velvet plate
This is my fav side as silky glass, stone used thus far finisher only
Glad to have her in line up as creates smooth thuri like edge with sharpness that can be dialed in,,,,
I only do 16x strokes only , glycerin water, changing, rinsing every 5 strokes

Just reporting as I purchased out of curiosity and stone historical factors

Please note,,, in stilk testing but above yields awesome results and comfortable edge

Please also note that not all stones in same name equal,,,

Took chance up front went big and received what appears a choice slab, of this type natural
It appears was choice cut, no marks imperfections etc,,, while at first holding stone was not happy that side with sticker had blemish, but what an smooth butter side
Just reporting
proxy.php

proxy.php

Looks like the same stone I have and I really like it so far. For me, I have been able to bring a dull razor to life very quickly, and for my level of skill that's pretty impressive to say the least.
 
It looks 7x1x1, I'm thinking about cutting the chipped end off 1 inch to make a slurry stone if it does much with slurry from the diamond plate for mid range. Whatever it is it's pretty fast. The 6x2.5x1.5 stone feels almost magnetic, especially with water. Itd slowest with water, second dry and i got great results with oil. Oil was much smoother and sharper. I think the purple stones may actually be different stones. The smaller purple seems harder, more terra cotta like where the larger one almost feels like it's a huge chunk of flexible refrigerator magnet. Its softer almost like a soft muddy feeling coticule that doesn't auto slurry. I'll be able to try the other once they get SIC powder. The black one had darker black flakes and was more of an ashen charcoal color instead of pitch black.
 
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What do the la lune stones feel like under hand? Under steel? Does it feel like water slows the razor and grips it but oil or dry runs smooth?

In my experience, the feel is very hard and smooth and with a bit of water, the razor seems to skate for a bit but then will dig in. Under the tap it slows the razor down a lot then will quickly develop a firm grip rather quickly.
 
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