[Dewey]

I know there have been other reviews on the Chinese 12k but I haven't seen one here at SRP and I thought it deserved one here on the greatest Straight Razor board on the net!

I picked mine up at a local Woodcraft store http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=4920 in Ft Worth, Tx. They had the 3" wide for $30.00 (but it was broken) as well as the 8"x2" for only $19.99. I took it home and flattened it on my Norton flattening stone and then on wet/dry on glass. I flattened all 4 sides because I figured that I would use at least one wide side and one narrow side for my swoopy / smilie blades.
The flattening was not difficult. The surface is very glass-like and a smooth gray color. It is a naturally mined stone from Guangxing China.
It feels very hard and smooth when honing.
The edges?
Wow! Waaay sharp and smooth. I have to be careful or my normal shaving pressure is too much! Excellent, smooth shaves. For the money, this thing cannot be beat.
I have been using a yellow coticule with great results but this stone takes my edges to the next level. It is slow cutting but doesn't take too long to produce a super-keen edge on a sharp razor.
Bottom line, grab one now before the stores realize that they can charge a lot more for a hone of this fine quality.

[Amyn]

I completely agree with the review. This stone is a GREaT value for the money. Very hard and a bit difficult to smooth the edges

FYI I created a slurry with this stone last night when I was honing a Boker wedge (as suggested by one of the members here) and that really helped reduce the time it took to hone the blade had I not created the slurry. Blade took a super smooth edge shaved with it this morning.

[Dewey]

My Joseph Rodgers 7/8th was one sharp bad boy this a.m. I'll have to try the slurry....Did you use a Nagura stone?

[kerryman71]

Thanks for the review. I've been debating whether I should buy
one of these.

John

[Amyn]

Originally Posted by DEwey

My Joseph Rodgers 7/8th was one sharp bad boy this a.m. I'll have to try the slurry....Did you use a Nagura stone?

Actually you can cut off a piece of the stone and use it to create a slurry or just buy another stone the are just so cheap. The Nagura may also work, but I have not tried it as I do not own one.

[Kees]

Are they for sale in Europe as well?

[Dewey]

Originally Posted by Kees

Are they for sale in Europe as well?

I am not sure. Have you tried the Woodcraft link? The price is so low, and the dollar so weak, it would be worth the shipping, I would think.

From their link I found this:
Do you ship outside the contiguous U.S.?
Orders destined for AK, HI and any of the territories or possessions of the U.S. are shipped by standard U.S. Postal mail. Regular shipping and handling charges apply, but expect 4 to 6 weeks for delivery. Contact our customer service department if you need to arrange rush delivery to these areas.

Canadian Shoppers, please see Canadian FAQ's

If your order is to any country or territory outside of these areas, complete your order as an International Shopper. On international orders we will contact you with shipping options and costs before processing your payment. We will generally quote 2 or 3 options including, where applicable, ground, air and sea shipping methods. Should you decide that none of these options are acceptable, due to expense or timing, you are free to cancel your order without penalty. Please note: Flammable items can not be shipped by air or sea in international shipments. We accept U.S. funds only, and for your convenience we recommend you use a credit card or bank money order (if ordering by mail). Personal checks or money orders are not accepted unless drawn on a U.S. bank. Direct Ship from Manufacturer items are not available for international shipment.

[Kees]

That's great info: thanks!

[KenS]

Originally Posted by Amyn

Actually you can cut off a piece of the stone and use it to create a slurry or just buy another stone the are just so cheap. The Nagura may also work, but I have not tried it as I do not own one.

I was finishing up with flattening my 12 K Chinese stone and still had my diamond impregnated hone out, so I used the fine side and made a quick slurry that way. I don't know that I would want to make a habit of it, but the hone worked just fine.
Ken

[The Topher]

Well I thought I would add my 2 cents. I had one that had problems because of a wierd vein running through it. But I took it back and got a new one. This one was NOT flat but once flattened and the edges beveled it is a great stone. I use it as an intermediate before my shapton 15k and the pastes. I could shave off the stone though as it is very sharp there. I am just a honing geek. For the money it can't be beat. I use my fine diamond plate to lap it and make a slurry but I don't use the slurry most of the time. I just use the stone with water.

[RobertFontaine]

My 12k arrived this afternoon.
Soaked, lapped, and then honed my wapi.

Soaked for about an hour
I lapped 1 side with the dmt 1200, then my swaty.
Did a few more touch ups with the lapping when I was honing

Stropped with leather
Finished with 3m .5 micron
Then stropped with newsprint

My technique is still poor but I can pop hairs on my arm half way up on the entire blade except 1/8" at the heel.

I had done a similar job with my swaty this afternoon and thought it was pretty darn sharp till just now. My definitiion of sharp is changing daily.

We shall see in the morning but I think it's finally shave ready (yet to be official but I have hope).

A finishing hone may not be "necessary" for those who know how to hone well but for those of us with no skill or talent a polishing hone makes a real difference.

- Bob

[Dewey]

Great to hear Bob!
You may be doing it but the X pattern work well to hone the heel. Hope it goes well tomorrow.

[dylandog]

I'm really curious to hear from all you about the chinese stone, and how it compares to eschers and coticules. I know it can't be beat for the money. But are there a lot of you who have the more expensive stones but prefer the chinese? How would you describe the difference?

[randydance062449]

One thing I have learned about the 12k is that it helps to "refresh" the hone surface with a 1000 grit occasionally . The abrasive grains seem to get worn smooth over time, kinda like an Arkansas stone. YMMV.

[bj64]

Thanks for the review. Most appreciated.
Brian

[Dewey]

Originally Posted by dylandog

I'm really curious to hear from all you about the chinese stone, and how it compares to eschers and coticules. I know it can't be beat for the money. But are there a lot of you who have the more expensive stones but prefer the chinese? How would you describe the difference?

Can't speak for everyone and it's still new to me, but I am following the coticule with the 12k to achieve a keener edge. I can get a nice smooth edge on the coticule but it seems the 12k will yield a much sharper edge than I was getting on the yellow coticule. I am not quitting the yellow just going for added sharpness and polish on the 12k.

[Russel Baldridge]

I have used both the chinese 12k and a vintage coticule (which is generally considered as a superior to the newly cut stones) and I agree the 12k puts a finer edge on the razor. This is a visual assessment, the 12k smoothes out scratching left by the coticule.

But, honestly, you'd have to do quite a bit of testing to weed out all the variables in your technique to be certain that the edge off the 12k feels better solely because of the finish of the 12k. There are just so many variables that you may not tell the difference.

And I finish off with pastes anyhow so the difference for me is a slightly more polished edge which I believe may help edge retention by decreasing microscopic rust that would reduce the sharpness and make for a bit more roughness at the edge.

So if you are trying to decide between the two (and have a 4k/8k or DMT 8k and want a polishing hone) I have said this to a few people:

" For cost effectiveness, go Chinese. For multi-purpose use, go Belgian. You will not be disappointed by either."

[Kenrup]

Originally Posted by Dewey

My Joseph Rodgers 7/8th was one sharp bad boy this a.m. I'll have to try the slurry....Did you use a Nagura stone?

I have not had good results using a Nagura stone. It's grit is larger then the 12K. I have experience a lot of micro chipping when I used it. I make a slurry with a very hard whit Arkansas pocket stone. It assured of just the native stone grit in the slurry. It works great.
Try this sometime. Start with your stone with slurry. Start honing and do not add any water. Hone until the stone is dry, plus about 15 - 20 more laps. It really puts a killer edge on a blade.

[randydance062449]

Thanks for the idea's! I will give them a try.

[Sarty24]

I got one of these bad boys...what grit sand paper would you suggest lapping it with? Thanks in advance