I have decided to go with a Chinese 12K Stone as my search for a barbers hone has earned nothing. I have noticed there are two widths available; 2 3/4" and 2". Both of these would require an X pattern (unless I'm wrong) so which one would be easier to use?
Which 12 K Hone?
- Thread starter Leche
- Start date
If you hone with the blade at a 30 degree angle on the hone, then the 2 3/4" one doesn't require an X pattern.
Get the 2 3/4 hone. Lap one of the narrow sides and one of the wide sides to get two different widths out of the same hone. Comes in surprisingly handy.
Personally, I prefer the X stroke. In my experience, you have to learn it eventually as most of the higher rated stones are 2" unless you pay a pocketful of money for a 3". I do however, understand the vendetta against the X stroke for beginners as it is indeed a lot more difficult to learn proper honing on say a 2" Spyderco vs. a 3" Norton. As always, YMMV.
I do an X with my C12k and wouldn't want the narrow one.
A wider hone will still give you more surface area when doing the X stroke, and as a result it will be faster. A C12k is a slow hone any way, so making it as fast as possible is a good call
.If you're patient with it though, you can get some very nice edges off of a C12k.
Hone width is a preference that you'll decide on after honing for a while. There are advantages to each width.
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