^ Very interesting results. Congratulations.

JimR,

Thanks for posting all of this information and adding videos on youtube. I always loved the mystic of Japanese Stones and finally took the plunge in getting one rather cheaply through Takeshi Aoki's website. I purchased a Kanayama Honyama Kiita and three types of "nagura" stones for slurry progressions. I was actually quite surprised that Jnats could be found for such a good price and I have heard good things about him.

I will be posting on here to get some advice when the stones come sometime this week. Thanks !

nick

Me three LOL

danjared:

yohannrjm:

TstebinsB:

...... I am thinking about buying a 5 in. Nakayama, cutting it up into 3-4 pieces, and using them as slurry stones.

Generally speaking, Asagi stones are always harder than Kiita stones. If anything, the Asagi would probably serve as the better slurry stone for the Kiita.

Hey Telly,

Welcome to coticule.be. This thread was also very useful to me in getting the best out of the Asagi you sold me.

The difference in edge that I got when using Asagi honzan instead of the Nagura was tremendous. There truely isn't any reason to do any more polishing once I've finished honing on the Asagi.

If you do buy a Kiita to cut up, let me know....I'd be interested in buying a piece. I've not yet picked up a Kiita hone, but I may do so sometime (if I can find one I can afford).

I would also be interested in a kiita honzan to go with my kiita.

Disburden:

Kanayama Honyama Kiita

You mean Nakayama, not Kanayama, right?

Disburden:

Me three LOL

Check where you just bought your Nakayama.

danjared:

Disburden:

Kanayama Honyama Kiita

You mean Nakayama, not Kanayama, right?

Right, I have no idea why I typed that instead! LOL

I will check for the small stone, thanks!

Nick,

I'm always happy if someone finds some benefit in what I post. I'm just in it for the pleasure of exploration, and sharing is just something I do. Let us know how it goes with your new stone!

Jim, I was just curious, have you ever lent a coticule to a Japanese honing expert ? I wonder what their opinion would be ... would their technique differ from the way we use them ?

^ I have to think they wouldn't go over too well. The use and expectation would be so different - or else they would have to adopt a new technique to deal with the different kind of slurry.

Wim, I'm planning to do just that once I get the split coti fixed up.

But I agree with Woodash, I can't see it being too popular. Totally different style, totally different standards of stone quality judgements. I know one guy who will try anything hone related, though, so if I can half-ass translate the dilucot/unicot into Japanese, I'll send it to him and see what he does with it.

I bought this hone, with a tomonagura, some time ago.

I've tried a few times to use it as a coticule, but didn't get great edges. After reading this thread I tried just honing till the slurry got thick. I could shave with that, but it still wasn't great.

I ordered three naguras from JNS and the owner was quite surprised as I apparently was his first Danish customer (He's Danish too) We actually talked on the phone and he advised me to try with only water. I did so, and the edge was crazy sharp, popping hair off my arm as no other edge I've ever managed to make.

I can get a good shave right off the stone with no stropping.

Stropping on linen degrades the edge somewhat. It can still shave, only not as good.

Stropping on my Heirloom Horsehide strop improves the edge, but not if I've stropped on linen first.

What linen do you use?

Kind regards,
Bart.

The linen that came with the Heirloom strop.
It's white and has two thin yellow stripes running down the sides on the back.

Nissarup,

What is the condition of the razor when you start?

How many times did you try refreshing the slurry?

Are you using any pressure?

And what is your "tomonagura"?

As for the edge degrading after stropping, it sounds like either you are stropping incorrectly or overhoning.

I've starting with both slightly dulled and a run-over-glass edge.

I refreshed the slurry between 3 and 5 times.

I use as little pressure as possible.

I believe the tomonagura is the same as the hone itself. It is quite similar, but I have no way of being sure of that.

It's only the linen that degrades the edge. Or my use of it I try to strop the same way on linen as on leather.

Granted, I am no experienced straight-shaver, so all of this might be because of me lacking some skills. I've just tried different things and found this to work for me. Keeping everything else the same, as far as possible, I get better edges off the stone with water than with slurry.