what do you think of the welsh slate? and how does it compares to a naniwa 12k

I know nothing about jnat stones. One day I think I might like to learn the discipline.

For now I use basically two set ups For blades which already have a properly set bevel-
1. Coticule with a heavy slurry...then thin it out some..go to BBW w/milky slurry..now to coticule on water. Finish on Welsh slate w/water

2. Naniwa SS 5k, 8k, 12k....done One day I'd like to toss a 3k SS in the queue to see if it makes a difference.

Rule of thumb. heavier the grind (like 1/4 hollow Harts and Zowada items) see the Naniwas. More delicate blades (Boker Silver Steel, Ralf Aust, etc) spend more time on the natural rocks. Why?? Just my way of doing it.....

SliceOfLife said:

Every so often honers, usually newer ones will make claims like what Gamma referred to (DT being a good finishing hone), and can not be convinced otherwise; as you can't well debate away someone's experience. The experience unfortunately is seen through eyes unable to tell a sharp razor from a dull one. It comes in a myriad of flavors. I've seen people reporting BBS shaves finishing on <1k hones. Claims that DT's are comparable to Thuri's. Cnats are finer than Thuri's. 4k stones are finer than 8k ones. You name it, SOMEONE has been convinced of it at some point; and if you try to tell them they're wrong and it's because they lack the experience to make the kind of judgement they're making; suddenly you're a jerk for "talking down to them". So overwhelmingly these people will continue to make their claims, misinforming even newer honers; until eventually they (hopefully) learn better and correct themselves.

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I have a brick leftover from a patio project that I've been honing on and I guarantee its the finest finisher out there. Sharpest edge you'll ever use.

Man I wanna try one of those goku's... I really gotta find someone local with one so I can try it out. Just too much money to drop on a stone I haven't tried myself; but if it's really top Jnat-tier like some have claimed; it'd be a shame to not have one.

Honestly Patrick, claims like that aren't as outlandish as some I've seen. I've had some slates that I was quite sure were just random slates the seller had turned into hones, that were extremely fine... generally they were also far, far, far too slow with razors to be of much use. If you just want fine... and you can use it with a lot of pressure, and speed isn't a concern, hell people were digging hones out of their yards, creeks, mountains, etc for centuries. They're out there. A lot of stuff cuts steel and there's a lot of good rock that can often be pretty consistent... but thousands of years of mankind needing natural cutting stones FAR more than they're needed today did a pretty good job of finding the best of the best. So when new stones come along, or stones that aren't new but have been dismissed for honing in the past start getting marketed for it, it's pretty slim odds that it's going to even compare, much less exceed other stones in use. Grit isn't the end all achievement for a sharpening stone... at least for naturals.