Japanese Natural (JNats) Stone: The New Adventure

Discussion in 'Straight Razors' started by HolyRollah, Jul 4, 2016.

  1. HolyRollah

    HolyRollah BaconLord

    Apache Strata is a finisher, not a 'pre-finisher'—(which i suppose means something in the 5k-8k range). Apache is supposedly in the 10-12k est. range. These are all naturals so the grit is always 'ballpark.'
    The Apache Red is what has been labeled by the producer as a 'pre-finisher'
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  2. 45auto

    45auto Well-Known Member

    I know your fond of your apache strata at one time you,Lou, and both you and Lou said the apache gave the edge a "silky" finish, do the jnats give you a silky finish?
     
  3. HolyRollah

    HolyRollah BaconLord

    Glen did about 100+ plus razors on my apache and said the edge was very much 'JNat-like' — which to my way of thinking means, "smooth and silky feel"— still scary sharp, but oh-so-comfortable to shave with. No harshness at all.
     
  4. 45auto

    45auto Well-Known Member

    Do you go much higher than 12k before you use your finisher
     
  5. 45auto

    45auto Well-Known Member

    To me most "nats" may not be that much a higher grit than 12k. Seems like only the synthetic hones can go above 12k label.
     
  6. HolyRollah

    HolyRollah BaconLord

    ...and this is exactly why most discussions of jnats tend to evaluate grit on a 1-5 scale, 5+ being the finest; speed of cutting and hardness. Working with naturals is different than with synthetics in how the slurry breaks down and refines the edge.
     
  7. 45auto

    45auto Well-Known Member

    How much longer until you become a honemeister?
     
  8. Nnnn

    Nnnn New Member

    Hi I have bought a 菖蒲谷 Shobudani Asagi whetstone it’s a level 4 out of 5 for hardness. Is this a good stone for Kamisori and straight razors? I am a beginner so not sure if I made the right decision.
    The seller wrote the following. This stone is noteworthy in that it has a seal 昭和1年 - this corresponds to the year 1926 of ore extraction!
    Has a base color of 浅葱 Asagi.
    Any advice would be welcomed.

    Thanks
     
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  9. Steve56

    Steve56 Hone Hoarder

    Could be, just have to try it.

    The mine, color, age, etc doesn't really matter though some mines were known to produce a higher percentage of fine grit stones.

    4/5 is a little soft for me and fineness and hardness GENERALLY go hand-in-hand, but the most desirable Japanese stones are those that are finer than their hardness would suggest, so there's also a potential for a home run here.

    Good luck! Cheers, Steve
     
    Keithmax likes this.
  10. Nnnn

    Nnnn New Member

    Thanks Steve. I was a little worried when I read of fake stamps being used on stones. Especially since I bought mine of eBay. Here’s a photo of my stone
    Thanks Nigel

    ACE559F4-2B25-48D2-A0FC-3CD044C34C82.png
     
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  11. gssixgun

    gssixgun At this point in time...

    Supporting Vendor
    I have found the 3 Shobudani stones that I have tested over the years to be solid performers, all were in the $100 range when sold.

    Much of the real success on J-nats comes from the user's ability to understand the slurry and how to "Play in the Mud" to get the most out of the stone.

    What are you going to be using to generate slurry on the hone ????
     
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