Thread: The Art of slurry...

I have noticed a ton of questions recently on Slurries and various finishers, and I have been meaning to write this for quite awile... Keep in mind these are just tricks I use, you can try them out for yourselves and see if you can get them to work for you..


When do slurries work??? what stones do they work on???

Simply put I have used slurries on every stone I have except two types, Barber's Hones and Arkansas stones...

They work from Bevel set to Finishing...

They are also pretty much not needed, but learning to use them can make life much easier and more interesting...

I use mainly two ways of raising slurries...

First choice is my DMT 325 I do about 5 figure 8's and I get a slurry and a clean, flat stone, to work on...
Second choice is a 4x1.5 fine Arkansas stone that works really well to raise a fast slurry on just about everything...

Pretty much I start on the 1k's with a fast cutting slurry for bevel sets, yes the synthetics can use slurries too OMG
Back when I first started really honing, the Norton 4/8 was THE stone.. Some really cool guys like Lynn even had these mysterious wondrous stones called Eschers and Coticules
But I remember learning that by raising a slurry on the 4k Norton I could do way more with that stone..
Then I added the 220/1k to my arsenal as I started restoring razors and learned that a bit of slurry on the 220 made the chores of "bad edges on wedges" go by faster yes, but the bevel came out much smoother too...
I of course started playing with slurries on the 1k and those work too...

I learned about "training" naturals with my first Coticule, and I have used the system of raising a very light slurry for the first 20 stokes on every natural finisher I have added since..

When I got the Shapton set I even played with light slurries on that 1k, and had some really fun times with the Naniwa SS's and slurries...

Japanese stones are a whole different animal with slurries and it took about 100 razors before I got really comfortable using them on my Nakayama...

Coticules of course have been covered extensively along with their Belgium Blue brother..

Even the Chinese stone can be slurried up to get different effects out of them...

I tell you if you have a Thuringen and you haven't tried starting with a slurry and diluting out to clear water you are missing a buttery smooth edge..

But really like I said in the beginning, slurries are not necessary or required on most stones, but they do add an interesting twist to honing...
One other thing they can help you with, is the proverbial "Brick Wall" when a razor stumps you on a stone, and you can't seem to get traction on a hone just try a light slurry on that stone and see if that doesn't help just a bit


I hope this helps some...

Note: that I put this in the advanced section, slurries are a tool, you should learn first how to hone, then start playing with them..

What is 'training' a natural whetstone?

So is the idea, say, on the 1K Norton, to use your DMT like you are lapping the stone, and then leaving the mix of crud and water on the stone while otherwise using the usual honing strokes? When that drains off the stone, do you slurry it up again?

I have a razor that for no reason I can discern just doesn't want to take a bevel, and I am thinking this might be worth trying.

Thanks for posting this. "Find out what's up with slurries" was near the top of my "To Do" list in my straight-razor education.

Originally Posted by LawsonStone

So is the idea, say, on the 1K Norton, to use your DMT like you are lapping the stone, and then leaving the mix of crud and water on the stone while otherwise using the usual honing strokes? When that drains off the stone, do you slurry it up again?

I have a razor that for no reason I can discern just doesn't want to take a bevel, and I am thinking this might be worth trying.

Thanks for posting this. "Find out what's up with slurries" was near the top of my "To Do" list in my straight-razor education.

Other then the "Crud" part yes you have it That crud is steel, you don't want that in there, just like you don't want it in/on the top of the stone when honing...

Originally Posted by Jasongreat

What is 'training' a natural whetstone?

Exactly what is written there, instead of just using water and a natural stone as a finish I always use a light slurry for the first 20 laps, I actually do 10 laps then dilute and do 10 more then rinse to clear,,, This system "trains" that edge to that natural stone IMO... These things are tricks you have to try yourself some might work for you, and your stone, then again it might be of no help at all...
To me consistency is the key to honing, I have to feel that what I am doing is working, and repeatable, otherwise I change things up...

Sorry about the "crud!"

Seriously, though, is the idea that I use the DMT for several strokes on the 1K until that mixture forms...but then what? I assume the mixture is partly from the DMT, partly from the stone...what happens next...

...then again...I probably should not be asking such a 101 type question in the "Advanced" Honing forum!

There is no part of the DMT, and if there is, they are much smaller than the stone particles so there are of no consequence... Slurries can be made using a surface like the DMT that don't release particles or with a Rubber/Nagura that does... Even what you make the slurry with can add a variable...

Then Hone with that slurry, the same as you would have without but check the edge more often, and dilute it out as you get closer...
The slurry acts as a force multiplier....it increases cutting power, on the lower grits, and also seems IMO to even up the finish faster... On the higher grits the evening up aspect, is what I am after, that seems to get me a smoother edge...


Keep in mind that all these variables are what caused huge problems with the Coticule threads,,, Slurries are tools, or as Jimmy likes to say just another arrow in the quiver... just the thickness you started with and how you dilute them can change my results from yours... That is why I put it in the advanced section

Many thanks! Seems like every time I come to this site I am getting some serious education. I'm grateful!

I'm pleased that I use slurries in much the same way as you do, Glen. I don't use them often these days, but they are a useful addition, or change of routine.

I too have noticed that using a slurry when first encountering a new stone up the progression will dial in the edge to that stone & enable you to successfully push the wave ahead of the blade with fewer laps than when using water alone.

Another aspect is the thickness of them. With a BBW I'll start will a very heavy slurry, but for the finishing stones, it has to be thin right from the outset.

Originally Posted by ben.mid

I too have noticed that using a slurry when first encountering a new stone up the progression will dial in the edge to that stone & enable you to successfully push the wave ahead of the blade with fewer laps than when using water alone.

I agree, I think that is the "evening up" I was talking about, it seems to get the sides of the bevel all nice and even faster, which I think would correlate with your observation of the wave flowing correctly faster Ben...