What did you hone today?

[cotedupy]

A last run out for this Cretan later on a 210mm Mazaki Nashiji Kuruochi Gyuto (Shiro 2).

Naoki Mazaki has got himself something of a reputation for completely altering the profiles of his knives on a pretty much constant basis. The 2019 version above is pretty much my ideal for a gyuto, whereas the same knife now looks like this (with apologies to James from K&S for nabbing his pic):

 

[2bit_collie]

Got a new Spike razor in. I already have a Spike I often use but it came to me with alot of hone wear. I'd been looking for a better condition one and this new Spike is perfect, just a few scratches. I honestly think it could be a factory finished edge, and the razor metal had a thin film over it all like a lacquer I cleaned off. Under magnification the bevel looked good already but was clearly done fairly coarse. It was topping arm hairs but HHT poor.

View attachment 1473211

Always trying to minimize metal removal on a good razor I spent ~10 minutes on my dalmore and it was probably shavable at this point. Im really digging this dalmore, great feeling stone. A few more minutes on both the 320grit side and 500grit side of my black/grey translucent arkansas and the razor was done.

View attachment 1473212

Shave this morning was perfect, except for one bite from the Spike tip! I will have to gently blunt it some. These are such practical razors and so easy to hone, I can see why they sold so many here.

I also had to mute the tip on my Spike after it bit me multiple times.

 

[2bit_collie]

No razor issues at the moment but tuned up 2 knives freehand.

First up is my grandfather’s US Navy knife. While not marked as such it appears to be the Mk 1 utility knife which was replaced by the KaBar in the middle of WW2 (my grandfather served 1930-1950). Maker is Western Cutlery.

I have a few Washitas which are supposed to be good for knives, so eager to try them out. Started with a late 19th Century Pike Washita and then touched up with a unlabeled stone that is at the dense end (SG=2.4). I aimed for a 40deg for included angle, no idea what I got or whether this is the appropriate angle or not.

Next up, one of my mother’s Shun knives. I swapped the initial Pike for a circa 1900 LWW. Again finished with the 2.4 Washita.

I’m not a fan of Shun in general or of ornate knives in particular. On this knife, with relatively little wear, the “bling” (for lack of a better word) is already extending to the edge and screwing it up. So just restored the edge where I could. This time I aimed for a 30 deg included angle, again using a wedge to help verify the angle.

With my razors I always use light pressure. It was amazing what the coarser Washitas could do to the knife edges when I applied some actual pressure. Instant swarf generation! Generating a burr took very little time. I may never use a water stone again on a knife!

 

[Empire straights]

No razor issues at the moment but tuned up 2 knives freehand.

First up is my grandfather’s US Navy knife. While not marked as such it appears to be the Mk 1 utility knife which was replaced by the KaBar in the middle of WW2 (my grandfather served 1930-1950). Maker is Western Cutlery.

I have a few Washitas which are supposed to be good for knives, so eager to try them out. Started with a late 19th Century Pike Washita and then touched up with a unlabeled stone that is at the dense end (SG=2.4). I aimed for a 40deg for included angle, no idea what I got or whether this is the appropriate angle or not.
View attachment 1480749

Next up, one of my mother’s Shun knives. I swapped the initial Pike for a circa 1900 LWW. Again finished with the 2.4 Washita.

I’m not a fan of Shun in general or of ornate knives in particular. On this knife, with relatively little wear, the “bling” (for lack of a better word) is already extending to the edge and screwing it up. So just restored the edge where I could. This time I aimed for a 30 deg included angle, again using a wedge to help verify the angle.

With my razors I always use light pressure. It was amazing what the coarser Washitas could do to the knife edges when I applied some actual pressure. Instant swarf generation! Generating a burr took very little time. I may never use a water stone again on a knife!

View attachment 1480752
View attachment 1480753

Yep, it's crazy how fast they are with pressure. They eat steel like good coticules do.

 

[thp001]

Pocket knife touch up on a Coti bout. Classic Cognet Douk Douk. Honed using a drop of olive oil.

 

[alex1921]

Kiita, old barber hone that I have not used in a long time. Slurry from hard iromono tomo diluted to very thin and watery slurry. Gave a very nice shave.

 

[Empire straights]

Kiita, old barber hone that I have not used in a long time. Slurry from hard iromono tomo diluted to very thin and watery slurry. Gave a very nice shave.

View attachment 1481079

That tomo is beautiful. I love stones that blush. I've yet to get a translucent Ark that has a good blush, but I will or die trying. If my kids don't start a cutlery business they're nuts. I guess same goes for me. Damn, I don't self own too often.

 

[alex1921]

That tomo is beautiful. I love stones that blush. I've yet to get a translucent Ark that has a good blush, but I will or die trying. If my kids don't start a cutlery business they're nuts. I guess same goes for me. Damn, I don't self own too often.

I have seen some of those translucents with blush, but I always always too late, they were sold. Maybe one day I will find one.\
The tomo is surprisingly hard for being iromono, usually they are on the softer side. Very fine stone.

 

[Empire straights]

I have seen some of those translucents with blush, but I always always too late, they were sold. Maybe one day I will find one.\
The tomo is surprisingly hard for being iromono, usually they are on the softer side. Very fine stone.

My iromono kiita koppa is fairly soft, about a 4.5, but the kiita tomo I use with it seems much harder. I have to do some work to get slurry from the two. But they are really fine. I have a bigger iromono kiita coming in a few days and I look forward to comparing them. So far so good.

 

[Legion]

That tomo is beautiful. I love stones that blush. I've yet to get a translucent Ark that has a good blush, but I will or die trying. If my kids don't start a cutlery business they're nuts. I guess same goes for me. Damn, I don't self own too often.

Blush.

 

[Wid]

Mituon 800, just a touch up

 

[cotedupy]

View attachment 1481168

Blush.

That's the spirit D!

 

[Pack line]

Found this in storage about a week ago. Bevel didn't look bad so tried a one stone hone on a coticule, boy did i miss. A waxing would have been a more comfortable shave. Today took it back to 4k shapton glass, coticule, trans ark. Looking forward to trying another shave tonight.

 

[Tomo]

Filarmonica Doble Temple 13 on a nice big slab of Surgical Black Arkansas from Dan’s.

 

[Empire straights]

I couldn't tell if it was from flattening or one of the stones was kicking up a piece of large grit(could be left from last time the razor was honed, who knows) I'm on the road so I can't really put it to the test but I'll shave with the razor tomorrow. I tested a patch on my neck dry and it left smooth skin with no irritation. It didn't hht the way I like but I haven't put it on a strop yet, just my palm and not many strokes. I'll give it a proper stropping tomorrow and shave with it. It's a really pretty stone and you can see lots of red in the layers on the side. Fingers crossed its not a knife jnat because I like teeth on knives. The nagura it came with was labeled 6k, I need to try it with my Nakayama Kiita tomo when I get home. Thats what I finish with on my other one.

 

[cotedupy]

Filarmonica Doble Temple 13 on a nice big slab of Surgical Black Arkansas from Dan’s.

View attachment 1481630

Do you have a special little pot of honing oil with a pipette? Fancy!

Can you snap me a choil shot of that razor sometime when you have a minute? I'd be interested to see the difference in grind compared to my '13B'...

 

[Tomo]

Do you have a special little pot of honing oil with a pipette? Fancy!

Can you snap me a choil shot of that razor sometime when you have a minute? I'd be interested to see the difference in grind compared to my '13B'...

I’m my book that’s a full hollow.

 

[cotedupy]

With my razors I always use light pressure. It was amazing what the coarser Washitas could do to the knife edges when I applied some actual pressure. Instant swarf generation! Generating a burr took very little time. I may never use a water stone again on a knife!

100%. On a razor Washitas are one of many stones that can do a job well. But on a knife (or chisel &c.) they’re a little bit special.

I find Shuns alright to sharpen personally, though I’ve never really used one much. Helluva lot better than Globals anyway!

 

[cotedupy]

I’m my book that’s a full hollow.

View attachment 1481705

Ah yeah! Certainly very different from the 13B...

 

[Pack line]

Trying a coticule edge on an old chisel. Gotta replace some doors later