Llyn Melynllyn hones - opinions?

**YetiDave** · 06-05-2012, 08:10 AM

I've been curious to try one of these since they started appearing on eBay and finally pulled the trigger. I'll start off by saying that I don't have a great deal of honing experience and my experience is limited to coticule (les lat) so that's all I'll really be able to compare it to. I've been honing since last October ish and have toyed around with a number of blades so I'm pretty good with the ol' coti now. I started out by honing up a razor unicot style and then took it to the llyn with slurry, which took quite a while to raise - it's a harder stone than coticule that's for sure. 50 laps on a light purplish slurry followed by another 50 on water and 100 on leather and I gave it a test shave. It really didn't seem to have done anything, I got pretty much the same edge I would with just a coti, next day I did another 50 laps on the llyn just on water and had the same experience. Today I gave it a shot on a razor that just needed touching up and I skipped out on the slurry altogether, just doing 50 laps on water and wow! It seemed like a keener, and dare I say smoother edge than I'd get on coti alone. I'm gonna hone up another razor and just finish on water with the llyn to make sure this wasn't some kind of fluke, has anyone else given one of these stones a shot?

**trick420** · 06-05-2012, 08:24 AM

I have a Llyn. I like it, but I don't use it with a slurry any more. I do a Dilucot on my antique coti, then water only finish, then I go to the Llyn for 20 on water, then I do honing oil on it. Try oil. It does wonders.

More often than that I'll do light slurry and then water only, then I'll move to my WT slate for water only and then oil. Now that's an amazing edge.

Either way, oil is your friend on those stones.

**Proinsias** · 06-05-2012, 09:30 AM

I've got a little one from AJ, kinda barber hone sized. It isn't as versatile but does give me a decent shaving edge. Been using mine as a touch up hone with a little lather in the bathroom recently and I'm happy with it. I find the edge similar to my la verte, maybe somewhere between my la verte and chinese 12k.

**tomjr** · 06-05-2012, 02:10 PM

i got one a while back. i have had nothing but success with it. i have no complaints. it gives me great edges on many different blades from day one. i realize there are some differences in natural stones but i am always puzzled by derogatory statements on this stone. it has performed flawlessly 4 me.

**rickboone1** · 06-05-2012, 02:20 PM

i love mine. like the dt better tho.

**Danricgro** · 06-05-2012, 10:34 PM

I bought the three stone set. The only one I have played with so far is the "WT" so far it has been very disappointing, it has degraded every edge I have tried it with. I'm not giving up on it, still have not tried it with oil. I'm afraid I may have got a dud. Looking forward to trying out the LM, hopefully that will go better.

**trick420** · 06-06-2012, 07:06 AM

Originally Posted by Danricgro

I bought the three stone set. The only one I have played with so far is the "WT" so far it has been very disappointing, it has degraded every edge I have tried it with. I'm not giving up on it, still have not tried it with oil. I'm afraid I may have got a dud. Looking forward to trying out the LM, hopefully that will go better.

My experience was similar on the Welsh Thuri™ when I got it too. I started with a HHT worthy razor and ended with no HHT at all. Since then I have learned two very important things: 1. HHT, for me anyway is useless, and 2. The WT requires VERY, VERY, VERY light pressure, so for me, I hold it in my hand and rotate my hand so the stone is slightly vertical, and I use VERY FAST strokes. There's a video of Jarrod at superior shave finishin on a coti this way. It works wonders. I use just water, and then just oil, and no slurry, and it makes incredible finished edges.

**YetiDave** · 06-06-2012, 11:09 AM

I gave oil on the stone a shot today and I'm very impressed! Even keener, still buttery smooth

**Hammertime1** · 06-06-2012, 02:54 PM

Second light pressure and Just water or a very light slurry first by finishing under running water with em. I have all three AJ sells as a package. Some razors gave me hell but I managed to get good shaves with all three. Just took time figuring out my normal method wasn't getting edge as keen as liked. I like to finsih of with some crox too regardless of stone be it coti, jnat or another hone. Im very picky about way a shave feels though.

**Gamma** · 06-06-2012, 07:49 PM

The purple Welsh slate was finer than my DT - My DT came from the source, the purple from AJ.
I don't know that the purple slates are actually from LM, and the green/black slate is also Welsh, not from Thuringia so to me its just another Welsh slate.
I didn't think either stone I had was up to par for finishing a razor, though I never tried oil. I don't like honing razors on oil so that's not an option for me.
For the price - both the DT and the PWS were ok. Not all that special - they worked, but fell short of what I want for a finisher.
I would buy either one of them before a Chug anyday.. that's for sure.