Thread: Spill the beans, Jimmy!

Okay. You held out long enough. 'No sense pouring salt on everyone's tongue - no one's having any of that.

So how'd you get your Nak? Where are the pics? What are you trying first - what were the results? You gonna try in combination w/ your escher(s)?

No sense playing coy - out with it!

I was dumber than a bag of rocks with it - you saw my heartburn on the thread. I'm loving the edges, but don't have the more broad experience w/ other rocks to compare it to. 'Wanna hear how a more widely experienced person does this.

Originally Posted by pinklather

So how'd you get your Nak? Where are the pics? What are you trying first - what were the results? You gonna try in combination w/ your escher(s)?

I got it through a friend who bought it from So Yamash!ta a couple of years ago. He is very busy the past year with work and familial obligations so decided to offer it to me.

The photos are his. It is 6" long and 3 3/4 at the widest point tapering to 2 3/4 towards the end and 5/8" thick. It seems to be very hard and relatively slow but fine. So hard that I found it difficult to generate slurry with the credit card sized 325 DMT but I got enough to work with it a bit.

I did X strokes with three razors that were already shaving well and it did improve the edges. Just preliminary fooling with it. I intend to use my GDLP for the slurry creation next time I mess with it. That will be soon and I will let you know what I come up with. Same as everyone else I guess. Put some water on a hone and do x strokes, TPT, and so on until you think it is "there" and shave test. No magic, just practice and more practice.

I have the sister stone to yours. It was selected by So at the same time and both stones were sent out for evaluation. Your seller kept that one and I got the other. I was told that they are very similar in characteristics and results. I really like mine and have gotten very good results from it.

As a finish stone or for a refresh the stone is awesome.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

It seems to be very hard and relatively slow but fine. So hard that I found it difficult to generate slurry with the credit card sized 325 DMT but I got enough to work with it a bit.

You know they're hard when they challenge a diamond plate

Stone envy rears it's ugly head...

Big 'Grats, Jimmy. Very nice!

Fast or slow, I've never heard a single instance of a bad rock coming from Yamashita-san. That's where I got mine. 'Costly, but you don't have to buy and sell several costly toys (with the learning curve for each) to find a good rock.

My asagi also tests out as very slow cutting, confirmed by Yamashita-san. It seems impossible for it to deliver an edge that's anything but smooth. I put a few things together this eve, and tried it out on the 1/4 grind spanish point wacker you have. At the finishing stage, the harder steel seems to need twice as much work/strokes as the more normal soligen hollow. 'Was told to give 20 strokes on the asagi, look for the gray metal swarf. If no swarf, it was slow, and might take 100 strokes. So, if the wacker usually takes twice as many as the normal (my experience so far), I gave it the equivalent of 200 strokes in a combination of mostly circles, and some x-strokes. I followed by heavy stropping - 100 canvas, 200 latigo. Yes, for other rocks and other blades, this would be nasty over-kill. As is, it's the best edge I've ever gotten, and this eve, gave the best shave I've ever gotten. So close you keep touching your face, wondering if all the skin is really there.

You've been at this many times more than I've been around, so I'm very interested in your thoughts as you get familiar w/ this rock - especially hearing that it is also slow. I hope you enjoy it way beyond anything tasteful, prudent or civilized. Pls. let us know your thoughts and experiences with it.

Thank You very much for posting and especially the pics.

I'm not sure it's a risk, but given what the DGLP costs, I am wary of using mine for anything but waterstones. In fact, I don't use mine for anything but waterstones. I'd rather sacrifice a relatively cheap DMT plate instead. Are you sure you want to use it for a natural?

...Just a thought.

Oh, and welcome to the dark side!

Jimmy congratz on the stone, that Asagi looks very smooth and compact.
For a full J-nat experience try naguras.
This guy sells them very cheap if you want to try.

Congratulations Jimmy, she's a beaut. Thanks for posting a pic. Have fun experimenting.
Mike

Originally Posted by Utopian

I'm not sure it's a risk, but given what the DGLP costs, I am wary of using mine for anything but waterstones. In fact, I don't use mine for anything but waterstones. I'd rather sacrifice a relatively cheap DMT plate instead. Are you sure you want to use it for a natural? .

I've been using mine for coticules, Tams, Eschers and a Thuringan or two along the way with no ill effect. Also with the Norton, Shapton Pro and Naniwa. Funny thing, I checked the Asagi with a Starrett straight edge when I got it and it is not flat. Has a sort of gradual doming. I decided to leave it and work around it rather than flatten it. I will however try the plate to generate slurry.

Originally Posted by mainaman

Jimmy congratz on the stone, that Asagi looks very smooth and compact.
For a full J-nat experience try naguras.
This guy sells them very cheap if you want to try.

Thanks Stefan, reading So's stuff on his website I have the impression that he thinks it is advantageous to use the diamond plate for generating the slurry. For now I'm going to keep it simple and stick with that. I've noted various posts describing the naguras but I've never really studied the differences or which nagura might be suited to which hone. Something to look forward to in the future.