Paul,
Do you soak your 1K before use or do you just spritz? I know there is debate on that. Some folks have had drying-related surface cracking issues.
Also, how often do you lap the surface to keep it flat?
Do you use the cleaning stone much?
The 10k is a cool stone I hear, but none of the shaving users seem to think it is better than 10K or 12k Naniwa SS for razors. I can't use those for knives. They are too soft for that. The blade edge cuts into the surface and makes a divit.
I have used it both ways and I would be willing to bet that the correct way to use the stone is to soak it for 10-15 minutes but it does work faster if you do not soak it.I would also imagine you would have to lap it more often if you do not soak it.
I now soak mine everytime I use it.
I lapped mine when I first got it with 400 grit wetanddry sandpaper on a piece of flat tile and it does not appear to need to be lapped again but I have only used it around 7 times.
Make sure you wet the stone when you do lap it.
I only use the cleaning stone to produce a little slurry.When I need to wipe off the steel on the stone I just use a rag.
OK, I lapped them on a DMT120 followed by 320Wetdry on a granite floor tile. I hope they don't bulge when wet and pucker when dry like Naniwa Superstones.
brothers wrote:Well, now, I hadn't heard that about the Naniwa stones. I have two of those, and they seem to work perfectly. Does that cause problems with honing?
Not really, but it can be aggravating if one is a stickler for flatness. I usually hone my razors on a Naniwa SS 10k. It works well for me. However, when I first got it I began to notice this problem.
I had used mine for some time when I decided to re-lap it. That is when I noticed that the hone was bulged up in the middle slightly. That didn't make sense. I was expecting a hollow in the middle caused by honing. Look at the pencil lines in the photo and you can barely see the oval shaped bulge.
So I lapped it to remove the middle bulge and make it flat again. Then when I checked it a few days later there was a hollow in the middle even though I hadn't used it for honing. So I lapped it flat again. Then when I checked it a few days later it was bulged up again.
Hint:
10 minutes will eliminate most of of your problems, either spray the Naniwa SS and wait 10 minutes or soak 10 minutes...
Then do about 5 figure 8's with a DMT 325 and yer good to go,, just do the 5 figure 8's as you start each razor and lapping is a thing of the past,, This allows the stone to expand, then you flatten, clean, and raise a light slurry as you start each time...I soak the next stone in line as I move through the progression....
I make sure to let the stones dry slowly face down on a towel before I put them away...
I have never re-lapped my set nor had too, since 2009 when I bought them... I also am quite anal about every razor starting with a clean surface, it makes honing very consistent for me...
Zot! wrote:so Naniwas DO absorb water and you need to soak?
Yes, No, Maybe...
You want to be very careful how you word that, and what you are doing, soaking is the wrong word as "soaking" a Naniwa SS might leave you with a pile of mud... It says specifically NOT to soak them...
BUT The Naniwa SS do expand and contract as they absorb water, and that "10 minutes of wet" can make a world of difference in keeping them evened up... Whether you soak them in the sink for 10 minutes or spritz them and leave them wet matters not...
But do not leave them soaking like you can Nortons or Kings for hours or even days...
I do the exact same thing with my Chosera 1k when I start honing too...
So the box on the C12k says to soak it, but it really doesn't do anything, and Naniwa says a spritz is all you need, but in really needs a 10 minute soak! Thanks for the info, it is really nice to know that!