Ive been honing razors now for about six-plus years, mostly using synthetics and a few natural finishersbut I knew relatively little about Japanese naturals. Over the past year or so, I've been diligently reading up on the use of Japanese naturals for honing straight razors, scouring forums and websites on information concerning their use and 'correct' application. What I discovered is the world of Jnats is incredibly vast and confusing, intoxicating to some, and potentially lethal to one's shaving budget.
Ever the cautious one when plunging head-first into something new, I opted to pick up a 'Jnat Starter Kit' from Gamma that was " priced for someone that's apprehensive to get into Jnats, but put together with high-end gear ." This sounded appealing to me and I wanted to purchase stones from a reputable seller who had an extensive history with Jnats. The price I paid for the kit (consisting of five stones, total) was, I thought, fair and reasonableslightly more than I paid for a single vintage Escher waterstone.
(WARNING: Butchered Japanese to follow!) The kit included a main finishing stone, a Shobudani Asagi Awasedo 菖蒲谷 浅葱 合砥 (essentially meaning, "light yellow finishing stone from Shobudani mines") Size: 6.26 x 2.2 x 0.75" a very-hard (Lv4-5) finisher, sealed on bottom & sides. Came with matching Tomo Nagura 共名倉 a small piece of similar stone used to raise slurry on the main finisher (honzan).
Along with the main finisher and tomo came the Mikawa Shiro Nagura 純三河白 名倉 (meaning 'white correcting stone, Mikawa mines') four stones of varying grit: Botan, Tenjyou, Mejiro, Koma listed in order from coarse to fine grit.
The nagura concept, as i understood it, is to raise a slurry on the finishing stone with each nagura stone (beginning with the coarsest), and proceed to work the blade with laps upon the stone, breaking down the slurry as one continues. After a sufficient time, the base stone is rinsed and slurry is raised with the next naguraand this process continues until all four have been used. THEN a final slurry is raised using the matching tomo stone, and the blade is finished after a final series of laps, diluting with water (or letting the stone dry) as one goes.
Simple concept. But how would it be in the 'real world' (i.e. in my hands at trying it)?
I began by taping the spine of a W&B wedge that had been 'less than stellar' when it came to comfort. Keen edge, but harsh feeling. One thing I knew about Jnats before starting is they supposedly do provide a smooth, comfortable edge. I also taped up a left kamisori that also had a keenly-shape edge of the 12k, but not the most comfortable to use.
the kamisori, before taping
Following the nagura progression described above, I started with the W&B wedge. after a few laps, the slurry began to darken. I continued laps as the slurry slightly thickened (milky consistency). Continuing to move up the nagura chain, I noticed the slurry changed from granular to incredibly silky. Finishing with laps on slurry made from the tomo (matching) stone, the razor began to stick to the finisher as the ultra-fine slurry developed. The edge felt sticky keen to the touch.
On to the REAL test: the SHAVE!
Lapped both razors on linen (50 laps each), followed by 100 laps on fast bridle leather. HHT (not my favorite test as finding consistent strands of hair for testing, I've discovered, is a challenge.) did manage to have hair fall silently on toe, mid and heel on both razors.
I alternated razors for my first shave, switching sides for each pass. Three passes total plus a little touch-up. My Findings? Both razors shaved extremely smooth, without a hint of harshness nor discomfort. No post-shave burn nor irritation. I've had about 5-6 shaves with each of these razors previously and none of those shaves matched this most recent attempt for comfort and enjoyment. SHARPNESS is one thing, but comfort trumps it, every time...
I've since done nearly a dozen razors on the Jnats since this initial duet. It's been a learning experience, getting a feel for both the stones and how the particular razor steel responds. Keith (Gamma) has been quite helpful in answering my questions on these stones, and I truly appreciate his insight. So far, the Jnat ride has been quite enjoyable!
Ever the cautious one when plunging head-first into something new, I opted to pick up a 'Jnat Starter Kit' from Gamma that was " priced for someone that's apprehensive to get into Jnats, but put together with high-end gear ." This sounded appealing to me and I wanted to purchase stones from a reputable seller who had an extensive history with Jnats. The price I paid for the kit (consisting of five stones, total) was, I thought, fair and reasonableslightly more than I paid for a single vintage Escher waterstone.
(WARNING: Butchered Japanese to follow!) The kit included a main finishing stone, a Shobudani Asagi Awasedo 菖蒲谷 浅葱 合砥 (essentially meaning, "light yellow finishing stone from Shobudani mines") Size: 6.26 x 2.2 x 0.75" a very-hard (Lv4-5) finisher, sealed on bottom & sides. Came with matching Tomo Nagura 共名倉 a small piece of similar stone used to raise slurry on the main finisher (honzan).
Along with the main finisher and tomo came the Mikawa Shiro Nagura 純三河白 名倉 (meaning 'white correcting stone, Mikawa mines') four stones of varying grit: Botan, Tenjyou, Mejiro, Koma listed in order from coarse to fine grit.
The nagura concept, as i understood it, is to raise a slurry on the finishing stone with each nagura stone (beginning with the coarsest), and proceed to work the blade with laps upon the stone, breaking down the slurry as one continues. After a sufficient time, the base stone is rinsed and slurry is raised with the next naguraand this process continues until all four have been used. THEN a final slurry is raised using the matching tomo stone, and the blade is finished after a final series of laps, diluting with water (or letting the stone dry) as one goes.
Simple concept. But how would it be in the 'real world' (i.e. in my hands at trying it)?
I began by taping the spine of a W&B wedge that had been 'less than stellar' when it came to comfort. Keen edge, but harsh feeling. One thing I knew about Jnats before starting is they supposedly do provide a smooth, comfortable edge. I also taped up a left kamisori that also had a keenly-shape edge of the 12k, but not the most comfortable to use.
the kamisori, before taping
Following the nagura progression described above, I started with the W&B wedge. after a few laps, the slurry began to darken. I continued laps as the slurry slightly thickened (milky consistency). Continuing to move up the nagura chain, I noticed the slurry changed from granular to incredibly silky. Finishing with laps on slurry made from the tomo (matching) stone, the razor began to stick to the finisher as the ultra-fine slurry developed. The edge felt sticky keen to the touch.
On to the REAL test: the SHAVE!
Lapped both razors on linen (50 laps each), followed by 100 laps on fast bridle leather. HHT (not my favorite test as finding consistent strands of hair for testing, I've discovered, is a challenge.) did manage to have hair fall silently on toe, mid and heel on both razors.
I alternated razors for my first shave, switching sides for each pass. Three passes total plus a little touch-up. My Findings? Both razors shaved extremely smooth, without a hint of harshness nor discomfort. No post-shave burn nor irritation. I've had about 5-6 shaves with each of these razors previously and none of those shaves matched this most recent attempt for comfort and enjoyment. SHARPNESS is one thing, but comfort trumps it, every time...
I've since done nearly a dozen razors on the Jnats since this initial duet. It's been a learning experience, getting a feel for both the stones and how the particular razor steel responds. Keith (Gamma) has been quite helpful in answering my questions on these stones, and I truly appreciate his insight. So far, the Jnat ride has been quite enjoyable!
