Sell them to some noobs

Thanks for the review !

When doing your polishing laps on this stone were you using strop like motion (spine leading) or the other way ? .... Just wondering.

Thanks

Edge-first; always.

Thanks! I ordered this stone ... $30 shipped ... I'm going to play around 15 shapton vs it... See what happens... I saw that you wet sanded it ... Having done it do you recommend doing that? How long did it take ?

This is going to continue to be an issue for you now, The Vintage Eschers were "Graded" stones and specifically graded for Straight Razors that is one reason they are highly sought after..

I Came Across this Guys Analysis of this Stone..20 Min into the Video he Does a Comparison with Known Grit Rated Stones Under a Microscope..I Dunno Anything about this Stuff but I thought it was Interesting..

Billy..

Very good video. Definitely worth the time watching.

Keith Johnson's findings are more in line with my past experiences using the ILR...

Ahhh, Yin vs Yang. I tend to believe what @HolyRollah and Keith Johnson have said. They just don't seem so eager to sell anything. It's interesting to note that the Imperia La Roccia might be artificially created(theory). Possibly gleaned from floor tiles.

Some perspective: I initially tried the ILR back in August of 2014 when I was still learning the ropes of the honing world. I had only used a C12k as a finisher (with the Naniwa 1k, Norton 4 & 8k combo) the majority of time so my initial enthusiasm about the ILR stemmed from it being both 'different' and 'new.' My early comments on the ILR: "...Imperia doesn't 'feel' as smooth as either the C12k or the norton 8k for that matter..." —are very similar to what the KJ video states about the stone being rough with particles, particular when a slurry is created. With just water, it was an incredibly slow stone to use. Now I haven't used the stone (sold it not long after that posting) in the 2.5 years since that ILR trial and have used a pretty good variety of quality finishing stones. Compared to the results I've gotten (and the experience I've gained) from these other finishers since using the ILR, I would definitely NOT recommend the ILR as a quality finisher. Too many other good options out there.

Aye Kevin..I Am Not Experienced on Natural Stones but I thought there was a Bit of Hood Winking Going on Here..That's Why I Threw it Up..

Billy..

From the ILR website:
The famous Imperia La Roccia® Natural Straight Razor Sharpening Hone/Stone
"...Believed to be in the 12-15K range. Capabilities lie somewhere in this range depending on the razor and your use. This stone should be used with a slurry first, and with that is capable of a fine polish, very quickly from a 1K waterstone, to about 8K. Your results may differ..."

There is truth in the final line in red.

Billy..

The guy on the video said the ILR was not flat. That makes the whole exercise pretty much indoubt. Also, only saw one chip on the blade but no before pics the rest of the blade looked ok.. A stone is not going to ever feel "right" if it is not lapped flat.

Mine had a click that I could feel when the blade went over one spot on the stone.
It showed on the blade.
I couldn't feel anything on the stone with my hand.
I lapped it out, problem solved, never happened again.

I have a IPL stone and one they claim is a finishing stone. I see no difference in results. I use the ILR as my medium stone then finish on a norton Translucent stone. Excellent results.

I also have an ILR that I use as a medium stone and finish on my jasper with successively diluted slurries. My preferred finishers these days are my 9 Ball Slate or my Suehiro 20k.

THIS ^^^^^

This would be a fair Apples to Apples comparison, both are "unknown" slates sort of at least.. Jeff told everyone where he sourced his 9-Ball slate, ILR was never truly open and up front on their sourcing,, in fact from the very beginning was deceptive about it..

Knowing both are slates, it would be a great side by side comparison as would a comparison to the Welsh Slates that were hyped for a few years...

Many of the "New" slates are very deceptive about sourcing, but to be clear most are Roofing, Flooring, Decorative, slate tailings and cast offs

The Haida Gwaii slate I am testing now is of the few that might be a Natural Find, still working it through my testing regime, it is good enough that I am sending out razors honed on it to customers..


Hone On !!!

Thanks, Glen! I’ve found that the 9 Ball is a true finisher. I class the ILR as a medium stone. I don’t get get anywhere near the edge from it as the 9 Ball. It does seem to smooth out the scratches from my 1k Chosera and 4k Norton. My son “borrowed my 8k and I hope to get it back at some point.