Stones that were let downs

[Gamma]

Choseras that crazed and cracked.
Super Stones that warped.
Gok 20k
Kitiyama 8k
Besters, Nubatamas, Bearmoo
Cretan
Zulu
Beryl
Chugs

 

[Jayber Crow]

Norton 1k.
The 4k worked ok but was so friable: they don't last long for the money.

 

[Empire straights]

Sort of a controversial opinion, but every thuri I have had has been a let down. I had had a dark blue escher, greenish bout, and a blue ish SRD i believe thuri. The shaves always fell close to the same range. Have also tried a thuri edge from a couple of folks as well.

Good stones but was a bit overhyped for me. With the price they go for I would rather grab a coticule/jnat or some other stone just about every time.

I agree 100%. Thuringians will give up a good shave but really dense/ fine coticule/ bbw can do everything my thuris can plus more.

 

[Jarrod12345]

Choseras that crazed and cracked.
Super Stones that warped.
Gok 20k
Kitiyama 8k
Besters, Nubatamas, Bearmoo
Cretan
Zulu
Beryl
Chugs

High grit choseras really love to crack don’t they

 

[Gamma]

For me it was the 1k & 3k Chosera.

 

[rbscebu]

My first. Never could get it to produce a decent shaving edge. I blew about USD 5 on buying it new, including shipping from China.

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Maybe it was just my inexperience in honing at the time.

 

[cotedupy]

My first. Never could get it to produce a decent shaving edge. I blew about USD 5 on buying it new, including shipping from China.

View attachment 1580223

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Maybe it was just my inexperience in honing at the time.

What is it? Looks like a combi made from one of those 'synthetic ruby' stones, with a bit of Nephrite Jade glued on top...

Kinda funky though - I like it!

 

[Gamma]

My first. Never could get it to produce a decent shaving edge. I blew about USD 5 on buying it new, including shipping from China.

View attachment 1580223

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Maybe it was just my inexperience in honing at the time.

Hah - the infamous Beryl stone. Phoney Beryl IMO.
These stones were sort of a let down for me...... sold as 10k. The very first permutations were just the green side and the photos made it look gorgeous. They measured 200x50x25 mm, and sold on Ebay for a tidy sum of $300 USD.
If you PM'd them they'd sell for $250. A few guys on the 'other' forum bought them at that price.
I got mine from another source for way less $$. Mine chipped edges worse than the ILR I tested.

I had one of those mini combos too - the 'ruby' side was weird... fast cutter. Both sides are very 'meh' at best. Toxic at worst.
Eventually these stones showed up on Alixpress or Alibaba or Ali something or another, cheap too; along with a lot of other weird looking man-made 'natural' whetstones.

 

[rbscebu]

....
I had one of those mini combos too - the 'ruby' side was weird... fast cutter. Both sides are very 'meh' at best. Toxic at worst.
Eventually these stones showed up on Alixpress or Alibaba or Ali something or another, cheap too; along with a lot of other weird looking man-made 'natural' whetstones.

And here I was thinking it was my lack of honing skills . Mine was only 100mm x 25mm x 20mm. That probably explains the reason why I didn't have to pay hundreds of dollars .

 

[Herrenberg]

I got a set of rods of that "ruby" in various diameters, and they're pretty great for sharpening serrated knives and scissors. Not bad for $13.81 with shipping.

 

[Gamma]

And here I was thinking it was my lack of honing skills . Mine was only 100mm x 25mm x 20mm. That probably explains the reason why I didn't have to pay hundreds of dollars .

The price of the 200mm stone dropped to $20 USD and the smaller ones were almost free it seems.
If you have one that doesn't chip edges it can be used to sharpen knives without issues. There's a ton of better choices though.

i think the red side was sold as being 3k but it stripped steel really fast. Was smeary and sorta rubbery in a way. It was a very strange thing.

 

[Wid]

For me it was the 1k & 3k Chosera.

Two stones I really like and use regularly. YMMV for sure it looks like.

 

[Gamma]

Two stones I really like and use regularly. YMMV for sure it looks like.

Great stones that I also liked and used regularly. Many people had crazing and cracking issues. But not everyone. Seems like inconsistencies in manufacturing to me. Different lots or batches were ok, some not ok. People in Japan were having issues also, not just in the USA.

 

[Steve56]

Great stones that I also liked and used regularly. Many people had crazing and cracking issues. But not everyone. Seems like inconsistencies in manufacturing to me. Different lots or batches were ok, some not ok. People in Japan were having issues also, not just in the USA.

Odd, I have a Snow White that didn’t crack.

Both @David and @life2short1971 have had 4 each IIRC and they all cracked.

I sent mine to Scott in FL, and after a while he noted spiderweb cracks, which is how the cracking starts according to Scott.

As soon as he saw the spiderwebs, he sent it back and I lapped it and it’s fine today.

BTW, we both used bottled spring water to hone with.

Go figure. My environment is basically the same as David’s.

 

[life2short1971]

Odd, I have a Snow White that didn’t crack.

Both @David and @life2short1971 have had 4 each IIRC and they all cracked.

I sent mine to Scott in FL, and after a while he noted spiderweb cracks, which is how the cracking starts according to Scott.

As soon as he saw the spiderwebs, he sent it back and I lapped it and it’s fine today.

BTW, we both used bottled spring water to hone with.

Go figure. My environment is basically the same as David’s.

I only finished one maybe two razors at a time and kept the stone on a flat dry surface when not in use.Put them away carefully also!

 

[Steve56]

I only finished one maybe two razors at a time and kept the stone on a flat dry surface when not in use.Put them away carefully also!

Yeah, I have no idea what the difference is. David and I have very similar climate, but he had issues too and really I have not.

Usually I wrapped it in a kitchen towel after use to slow the drying, but that doesn’t seem to amount to much.

I’ve used it a few times and lapped it once since I got it back from you, and the spiderwebs are less noticeable.

I have no idea what’s causing the failures my friend !

 

[life2short1971]

Yeah, I have no idea what the difference is. David and I have very similar climate, but he had issues too and really I have not.

Usually I wrapped it in a kitchen towel after use to slow the drying, but that doesn’t seem to amount to much.

I’ve used it a few times and lapped it once since I got it back from you, and the spiderwebs are less noticeable.

I have no idea what’s causing the failures my friend !

I now have the NK-2291 Naniwa Gouken Kagayaki 12k and I love it. It feels like a harder stone but it leaves a scratchless mirror bevel and a nice comfortable shave. As of this posting its on sale at Amazon and other places as well quite reasonably.

 

[Vacumatic]

My first. Never could get it to produce a decent shaving edge. I blew about USD 5 on buying it new, including shipping from China.

View attachment 1580223

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Maybe it was just my inexperience in honing at the time.

This stone from China is now over 40 years old and in my inexpert hands it has sharpened garden shears, kitchen and pocket knives amongst many other things. I have lubricated it with water and even thin motor oil, it is great. Cannot remember the cost but less than 1 USD.

 

[rbscebu]

This stone from China is now over 40 years old and in my inexpert hands it has sharpened garden shears, kitchen and pocket knives amongst many other things. I have lubricated it with water and even thin motor oil, it is great. Cannot remember the cost but less than 1 USD.

View attachment 1581025

Good to hear. One of my better whetstones is also from China, a modern Adaee #12000. From memory, about USD 30 including shipping. It puts a great natural edge on particularly my stainless steel SRs.

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But this thread is for our whetstone let-downs.

 

[Vacumatic]

Good to hear. One of my better whetstones is also from China, a modern Adaee #12000. From memory, about USD 30 including shipping. It puts a great natural edge on particularly my stainless steel SRs.

View attachment 1581028
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But this thread is for our whetstone let-downs.

I understood the purpose of the thread.

My comment was a more specific response to your own which suggested that your Chinese stone had been a let down, I was saying that my old stone had served many other useful purposes.