La Lune Special Stone...Anybody got one?
- Thread starter hig789
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The green La Lune is:
~6x2.36x.63…so it’s not a bad size at all!
~6x2.36x.63…so it’s not a bad size at all!
All very nice Matt! Enjoy!
That green one looks like one of those slaty, spotted llyn Idwals to my poor eyes.
Do those llyn Idwals have a beautiful shimmer in the light? This one does, and it’s quite beautiful!
That is a monster! Never seen one so large.
I have played with mine a bit since I got them. I found them to be a finisher only.Water slurry dilutions were not beneficial at all, I could not really sharpen a razor only polish/change the edge feel. I want to try oil next as I ruled out water slurries.
I have had the same experience.
I have one black and one purple. I got the best results if I avoided using slurry, and just used it as a finisher after a coticule, or after an 8k/12k synthetic.
It works with water, but oil seems to work better.
Slurry on my vintage special stones would be a fast track to pink lather. All of my vintage examples are blazing fast and work best with oil.
Thanks for the advice @kcb5150 and to previous contributors on this thread!
Usually I like to find my own way, and figure things out…but for my first effort I took your advice and used the big blue La Lune as a post-finisher after the 8k, 12k, Hohenzollern Abziehsteine Thuringian…it worked like an absolute charm!
I had read through the La Lune threads here and on other forums, and there seemed to be a modicum of consensus on 15 light laps w/oil…after the Thuringian…with folks reporting it keeps the Thuringian smoothness, and considerably bumps the edge up in sharpness!
Happy to report that this was my experience as well! Perfect Thuringian smoothness with an OUTRAGEOUS level of sharpness…no red dots, weepers, or irritation…just a perfect shave!
I am very very happy with how it turned out, and I probably won’t tinker around with the process, no need to if the next few edges come up so perfectly balanced between maximum smoothness and maximum sharpness!!!
Usually I like to find my own way, and figure things out…but for my first effort I took your advice and used the big blue La Lune as a post-finisher after the 8k, 12k, Hohenzollern Abziehsteine Thuringian…it worked like an absolute charm!
I had read through the La Lune threads here and on other forums, and there seemed to be a modicum of consensus on 15 light laps w/oil…after the Thuringian…with folks reporting it keeps the Thuringian smoothness, and considerably bumps the edge up in sharpness!
Happy to report that this was my experience as well! Perfect Thuringian smoothness with an OUTRAGEOUS level of sharpness…no red dots, weepers, or irritation…just a perfect shave!
I am very very happy with how it turned out, and I probably won’t tinker around with the process, no need to if the next few edges come up so perfectly balanced between maximum smoothness and maximum sharpness!!!
Nice.
Now I have to try my La Lune stones again and include a slate.
I have acquired a black, a blue, a green, and a new purple La Lune thus far, and I have had wonderful success with the first three…I used the purple this evening and will do a shave test in a few days.
I have been taking maxed out edges from synthetic finishers, Thuringians, and Coticules, and then using the La Lunes as post-finishers for 15-20 laps on Nortons Oil or Smiths Honing Solution.
All of the edges have been top notch, but so far the best was using an Old Rock Coticule to finish, and then hoping to the black La Lune with Smith’s solution. It is crazy but I am going to say it…I don’t just mean the best out of the La Lune testing…I mean best edge I have ever done.
I will keep tinkering…especially because these edges have been coming up aces!
I will report back as I have some updates!
I have been taking maxed out edges from synthetic finishers, Thuringians, and Coticules, and then using the La Lunes as post-finishers for 15-20 laps on Nortons Oil or Smiths Honing Solution.
All of the edges have been top notch, but so far the best was using an Old Rock Coticule to finish, and then hoping to the black La Lune with Smith’s solution. It is crazy but I am going to say it…I don’t just mean the best out of the La Lune testing…I mean best edge I have ever done.
I will keep tinkering…especially because these edges have been coming up aces!
I will report back as I have some updates!
Yeah, they are super easy to use. I like to do coticule>la lune too. I accidently discovered that if I push the edge past comfortable on the La Lune then come back and do like 3-5 light laps on a finishing coticule it takes the bite out of the edge but will still be insanely sharp like a typical la lune edge. I got to finish flattening this old black one because I really want to try it. I was thinking about bidding our my purple one a couple days ago. Maybe next time I shave, I've been doing very fine burton horde coticule>Nantlle Valley stone lately and I really like it.
So I have just taken everyone’s advice…15-20 laps as post-finisher. I don’t want to push an edge and experience face punishing sharp!
I am finding that it’s true….15-20 laps keeps the underlying smoothness of your finisher, and pumps the sharpness to hyper-sharp at the same time.
I also have been playing the game of lets see how lightly I can use the razor…so the lightest of touch that I can manage probably doesn’t hurt!
I decided to try my purple Lalune stone again. Instead of just doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result, I tried something different.
I finished on an 8k stone, ending with edge trailing strokes, to draw out the edge. The goal was to see if a slurried Lalune would reduce this weak edge without rounding the apex too much, and create a good edge.
This is the 8k edge. It is hard to see, but the edge is curling over a little. I would not call it a burr, but it would be too weak to shave with, and not comfortable.
Now I do 10 circles on each side, followed by 20 x-strokes.
This have now strengthen the edge a little, and cleaned up the apex, without leaving any rough marks.
This is a significant improvement compared to the edge produced with 15 strokes, used with oil after the same 8k. The result is shown below.
I know we are not shaving with images. However, the slurried edge will most likely shave better then the oil finished edge, which I have tried multiple times after 8k and 12k.
I finished on an 8k stone, ending with edge trailing strokes, to draw out the edge. The goal was to see if a slurried Lalune would reduce this weak edge without rounding the apex too much, and create a good edge.
This is the 8k edge. It is hard to see, but the edge is curling over a little. I would not call it a burr, but it would be too weak to shave with, and not comfortable.
Now I do 10 circles on each side, followed by 20 x-strokes.
This have now strengthen the edge a little, and cleaned up the apex, without leaving any rough marks.
This is a significant improvement compared to the edge produced with 15 strokes, used with oil after the same 8k. The result is shown below.
I know we are not shaving with images. However, the slurried edge will most likely shave better then the oil finished edge, which I have tried multiple times after 8k and 12k.
I get an edge similar to that first pic if I’m not careful and I torque the blade when I switch directions on the stone. I cal also tell when I lap a stone I’ve been using for a bit beecause the lowest spots on the stone are a little bit in from the ends from the extra pressure I unintentionally put on the blade starting the new pass after flipping the blade. Thats what does it for me anyway.
In this case I intentionally used edge trailing strokes to draw out the edge. No matter how carefully you are flipping the blade the edge will lean a little to one side.
The reason for doing this is because a slurried Lalune will usually create too much rounding at the apex. This is one attempt at minimising this.
This is by far the best looking La lune edge I have honed. Time will tell if it shaves good as well.
I think it is important to be careful when the slurry is created. These stones scratch easy, and can release large particles that are problematic.
Yeah light slurry can help take the harshness on them. Pictured is one of those coticules backed by a la lune? I always thought those would make great travel stones.
Its always fun trying different methods and seeing what works. A friend turned me on to kapton tape which not only is it very thin it is durable and has a very low friction which really helps in those instances when tape grabs the stone and torques the blade. I think it works better than no tape at all even.
Sounds like your having success. Good work!!
Sounds like your having success. Good work!!
Yes, this is a Lalune Les latneuses combination stone. The combination works quite well.
How about two special stones…a brick La Petite Blanche Coticule, and a brick Blue La Lune…was time to break out the bricks!
HHT was quite something!
HHT was quite something!
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