Tam O’ Shanter?

[Acmemfg]

In the never ending investigation of razor hones, I find myself looking at Water of Ayr and Scottish Tam O Shanters reportedly about 12k. I know little about these creatures. It would join the stable currently occupied by similar hones; specifically:
Arkansas Surgical Black
Arkansas Translucent
Coe Arkansas Grey
Zulu Grey
Pierre LaLune
Vermont Green (about 10k)
Naniwa SS 12k
….and a number of lower grit rocks between 1k-8/10k
….or do I just buy another synthetic, like a Shapton Rock Star 16k?
Or save up for one of those cool new Dovo Japanese wannabe razors?
Advice from the collective brain trust much appreciated.

 

[Darth Scandalous]

Tams are nice but they vary. I believe the finest ones are capable finishers but others, maybe most, are in the mid to upper mid range. I have two little 5"x1" Tams that look pretty similar. The one I use as a finisher sometimes. Produces a gentle, coticule-like edge for me. The other one is notably coarser but it's great for touching up pocket knives.

Neither would approach a surgical or translucent ark, though.

 

[Empire straights]

In the never ending investigation of razor hones, I find myself looking at Water of Ayr and Scottish Tam O Shanters reportedly about 12k. I know little about these creatures. It would join the stable currently occupied by similar hones; specifically:
Arkansas Surgical Black
Arkansas Translucent
Coe Arkansas Grey
Zulu Grey
Pierre LaLune
Vermont Green (about 10k)
Naniwa SS 12k
….and a number of lower grit rocks between 1k-8/10k
….or do I just buy another synthetic, like a Shapton Rock Star 16k?
Or save up for one of those cool new Dovo Japanese wannabe razors?
Advice from the collective brain trust much appreciated.

The fine ones and white ones are fantastic razor finishers and one of my favorite stones to shave off of. They Also impart an amazing edge on knives. Using a little Tam slurry to finish on a hard ark is a great edge as well and it speeds up the ark a lot. I've got a bunch of Tams of varying fineness and I'll say I probably use them for sharpening than almost any other stone, at least at some point in the progression. I was very underwhelmed by the water of Ayr stone I got.

 

[captaincaed]

Interesting, my general impression was Tams weren’t really fine enough for razors, with a few fine ones (e.g. the “White” Tams) being the exception. May need to try a few more…

I have three, I think, and I wouldn’t choose them for a razor finisher but I think I’d be very happy with them for fine cutlery (like an herb or fish knife). They remind me of the speckled koma nagura JNS was selling a while back, in terms of softness, sharpening feel and edge feel.

I love the garage tinkerer mindset around here, I learn so much, and it forces me to take a second look at things. The number of variables can be frustrating, but also the source of all the fun.

 

[Wid]

A fine tam is a very nice finisher. Very face friendly akin to a coticule imo. Not quite as fine as the WoA. The WoA with either oil or glycerin makes for a very nice edge. It is purely a finisher though. The tam can be put into a progression and used as a pre-finisher right before the WoA. It works well here.

 

[Empire straights]

Interesting, my general impression was Tams weren’t really fine enough for razors, with a few fine ones (e.g. the “White” Tams) being the exception. May need to try a few more…

I have three, I think, and I wouldn’t choose them for a razor finisher but I think I’d be very happy with them for fine cutlery (like an herb or fish knife). They remind me of the speckled koma nagura JNS was selling a while back, in terms of softness, sharpening feel and edge feel.

I love the garage tinkerer mindset around here, I learn so much, and it forces me to take a second look at things. The number of variables can be frustrating, but also the source of all the fun.

Of my 7 Tams 3 are razor finishers and I'd pick them over my thuringians any day of the week. The other 4 are pre finishers that I'd put 6-7k(like a fine washita). The coarser(blue) ones make awesome slurry stones for novaculite.

 

[Empire straights]

Tams are nice but they vary. I believe the finest ones are capable finishers but others, maybe most, are in the mid to upper mid range. I have two little 5"x1" Tams that look pretty similar. The one I use as a finisher sometimes. Produces a gentle, coticule-like edge for me. The other one is notably coarser but it's great for touching up pocket knives.

Neither would approach a surgical or translucent ark, though.

Those white 5"x1"s that several of us gobbled up at a steal, are my favorite Tams for razors. They're too fine for most of my knives but I keep one next to the sink with my AG Russell translucent black hard ark. Even the fine Tams have a stupid amount of range though, they're like coticules or washitas in that sense.

 

[Legion]

I agree that the fine ones impart an edge that feels like a good coticule edge. They do not have the range of a coticule, but if using just as a finisher, they are super easy.

 

[Acmemfg]

By the end of the day, I wound up with a Shapton Seven 30k. Seems to be fairly well regarded as a top flight finisher. Guess we will see…..

 

[Empire straights]

By the end of the day, I wound up with a Shapton Seven 30k. Seems to be fairly well regarded as a top flight finisher. Guess we will see…..

Idon't know what your beard hair is like but If that 30k edge is a little too harsh or aggressive, 20 laps on that green Vermont on oil should tame it down some.

 

[H Brad Boonshaft]

“I don't know what your beard hair is like but If that 30k edge is a little too harsh or aggressive, 20 laps on that green Vermont on oil should tame it down some.”

So, if you cannot shave off a high grit synthetic, and many can’t, what is the point of a 30k?

It all depends on what you are looking for that an Ark finish will not give you. A Jnat is the only edge that can equal an Ark edge. But here again a lot will depend on the stone and the honer.

A Tam and/or 30k is a sideways move.

 

[Acmemfg]

“…what is the point of a 30k?”

To quote another well respected member of the shave community which may explain the rationale:

“Probably duplicative of what you already have but I like many other guys have lots of different stones which could achieve similar results.”
I like the variety and history of each one.”

I agree with his point of view.

 

[Acmemfg]

Speaking about hones of all sorts, I found this to be an interesting read….

European Natural Stones - Natural Whetstones

European natural stones use to hone and sharpen blades date back to antiquity with many of the mines in Europe being some of the oldest exploited deposits of stone on record such as the Cretan / Turkish Stone. Their performance and variety can be equal to Japanese natural stones but tends to be...

naturalwhetstones.com

 

[SliceOfLife]

So I've had a "New Ayrstone" paddle stone that was tan, waxy and only vaguely similar to the other Tams I have owned. It was a decent but not exceptional razor finisher.

I've had a few black tams into Water of Ayr type stones. They were able to finish a razor but not great. Basically random slate to Lynn idwal quality finishes.

I've got a few white tams (owned a dozen or so). Fan-tastic Knife stones. LOVE the feedback. I wouldn't call them razor finishers, personally. Maybe I should revisit them and give them another shot on a razor. Like them so well with knives I can't recall the last time I used them with a razor.

 

[Empire straights]

So I've had a "New Ayrstone" paddle stone that was tan, waxy and only vaguely similar to the other Tams I have owned. It was a decent but not exceptional razor finisher.

I've had a few black tams into Water of Ayr type stones. They were able to finish a razor but not great. Basically random slate to Lynn idwal quality finishes.

I've got a few white tams (owned a dozen or so). Fan-tastic Knife stones. LOVE the feedback. I wouldn't call them razor finishers, personally. Maybe I should revisit them and give them another shot on a razor. Like them so well with knives I can't recall the last time I used them with a razor.

Agreed on their usefulness as incredible knife stones but both of those little white 5x1s I have give up a great shave.

 

[Acmemfg]

Picking up a friend‘s Jerry Stark later and am planning on putting a new edge on it.
Thinking a Slovakian Rozsutec or BBW to a Zulu Grey (still my best finisher) might be in store for this job. Quarter hollow blade.
Thinking. Coe Arkansas Grey may also be up for consideration. May just flip a coin.

 

[Gamma]

Have had several Tams. 1-2 better than others but none were something I'd keep around to rely on as a razor finisher. Midrange, mostly. Ok knife stone, but superfluous to me really. Feedback is nice enough. I do have one WOA that rose a bit above all the Tams but it still isn't quite 'there' for me. Better than just ok but not better enough to be a stone I don't forget about; I had to go check to see if it's still here actually.
Yes, I am aware about the different types of each....etc, etc, etc....had them all.
When the prices are right it's fun to try new stuff but usually I'll pass and stick with a translucent Ark.