Thread: Slurry Stones?

I would add that some of this depends not just on the hone but on the razor. I can't seem to get my TI's really going until I start with some degree of slurry since their steel is so wonderfully hard. My Dovo's quite a bit less so. Many of my vintage razors- even less so.

It's better always to start conservatively. I tend to like slurry consisting of just the hone material so that I know what I'm dealing with. So, I use a 1,200 DMT to whip it up. Like Glen mentions you also have the added benefit of keeping your hone well lapped that way as well.

Slurry can be overdone very easily. It has its place but is often overused and overrated. What is often underrated is honing with water only. Using slurry conservatively, until you know exactly what consistency to build and what it will do for you, is the key IMHO.

PS; Wet/dry sandpaper could raise hone only slurry on the cheap.

Just a little warning about "Sandpaper" it can release grit, this can be VERY bad when you have spent hours restoring the finish on a beautiful 9/8 wedgy W&B and have a near perfect mirror finish on it... One errant piece of grit and you are re-polishing (), if you search back in the Workshop a few years you will find this warning quite often...

It can also do a number on the very thin edge of extreme hollow grind razors, if you look back in the older honing forum archives you will find this warning too..


You don't see it often any longer because most people have moved to using DMT's Atoma's etc:

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Just a little warning about "Sandpaper" it can release grit, this can be VERY bad when you have spent hours restoring the finish on a beautiful 9/8 wedgy W&B and have a near perfect mirror finish on it... One errant piece of grit and you are re-polishing (), if you search back in the Workshop a few years you will find this warning quite often...

It can also do a number on the very thin edge of extreme hollow grind razors, if you look back in the older honing forum archives you will find this warning too..


You don't see it often any longer because most people have moved to using DMT's Atoma's etc:

Thanks Glen. I guess better advice for the budget minded would be to get a DMT 1,200 credit card?

Originally Posted by 1holegrouper

Thanks Glen. I guess better advice for the budget minded would be to get a DMT 1,200 credit card?

Those work very well I was using one at the Denver meet, I was going to buy one and try adding a little handle to the back with epoxy I think that would be an awesome little slurry machine

Originally Posted by binder

I need something mainly for the king Delux stone. It just cuts too slow to try and set a bevel.

I’ve used the King 800 and 1200 for many years. They were initially purchased for sharpening knives.

When I started honing razors I found them very reliable! I’ve since helped a friend and given him my 800 and so now when the time comes I use the 1200 for the major work bevel settings.

With that said, normally I use the Norton 4K!

I’ve followed Glen’s counsel and used the DMT to make slurry. At first I tried the credit card size but that was a bust!

When I lap the King I leave a very thick slurry. However! I rinse the residue off of the DMT and allow that water to dribble down onto the stone. This allows it to become a lot thinner. I also do my initial ‘circles’ and straight up and down the hone using the original slurry but before starting to go to X-strokes, I further dilute the slurry.

For me, the King 1200 delivers a huge bang for the buck!

With that said, I’d love to be able to afford the chosera1K but what I have works and it works very well for me! And No! I don’t find it ‘slow’! It’s always cut very fast for me!

My counsel would be to spend the money on the DMT 325 and a stone holder for it as it’s a real work horse! Not only for lapping stones and making slurry but for major damage repair!

Originally Posted by cudarunner

I’ve used the King 800 and 1200 for many years. They were initially purchased for sharpening knives.

When I started honing razors I found them very reliable! I’ve since helped a friend and given him my 800 and so now when the time comes I use the 1200 for the major work bevel settings.

With that said, normally I use the Norton 4K!

I’ve followed Glen’s counsel and used the DMT to make slurry. At first I tried the credit card size but that was a bust!

When I lap the King I leave a very thick slurry. However! I rinse the residue off of the DMT and allow that water to dribble down onto the stone. This allows it to become a lot thinner. I also do my initial ‘circles’ and straight up and down the hone using the original slurry but before starting to go to X-strokes, I further dilute the slurry.

For me, the King 1200 delivers a huge bang for the buck!

With that said, I’d love to be able to afford the chosera1K but what I have works and it works very well for me! And No! I don’t find it ‘slow’! It’s always cut very fast for me!

My counsel would be to spend the money on the DMT 325 and a stone holder for it as it’s a real work horse! Not only for lapping stones and making slurry but for major damage repair!

Yea I like them so much I have 3 king deluxe 800 and 3 king deluxe 1200 and two unknown grits from them.
I do all and must my shopping in the used markets. really proud of the time I paid only 10 bucks for a king 800 and 10 bucks for a king 1200 stone on ebay.
I might even start buying my clothes in the used markets too theirs people in the world who buy pricy clothes and only wear them once.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Those work very well I was using one at the Denver meet, I was going to buy one and try adding a little handle to the back with epoxy I think that would be an awesome little slurry machine

You my friend may have an excellent idea about attaching a handle to the DMT card to use to make slurry!

The reason I posted that ‘for me’ using the card was a ‘bust’ was due to the difficultly of trying to hold it flat and not have it ‘jump’ out of my hand!

I know that your mind never ceases to be at work so I was wondering if you were thinking of a handle like a spatula for one handed use or one that would extend across so that two hands could be used.

Originally Posted by binder

Thanks for replies

I think there must be a trick to get this stone to work. I find a lot of times it doesn't want to cut, and at times it feels like it's doing nothing even with a fair amount of pressure. That is why I thought I would try the slurry and see if that helps.

The Kings are an awesome stone for setting up the bevel polish on J/knives pre J/nats but not a superfast cutter. Self slurry via a diamond plate will speed things up.

Just remember the "less is more" tenet for razors. Pressure will often result in you honing the bevel & not the edge if you flex it away from the stone.

Originally Posted by onimaru55

The Kings are an awesome stone for setting up the bevel polish on J/knives pre J/nats but not a superfast cutter. Self slurry via a diamond plate will speed things up.

I always use slurry on my King! I've found what you say is 100% true! The slurry does speed things up. With that said, I do rinse the slurry off and finish on clear water before going further up the hones.

QUOTE: Just remember the "less is more" tenet for razors. Pressure will often result in you honing the bevel & not the edge if you flex it away from the stone. End QUOTE

Again, you have hit the nail right on the head! When Glen, Lynn and others show a video on 'how to do it' about honing and they say; some heavy pressure, some pressure, or no pressure, I've found that the different levels of 'pressure' can only be learned by doing the task.

However, I tend to be on the cautious side and use very, very little pressure when I'm setting the bevel and only the weight of the blade and enough 'tension' to keep that blade flat on the stone when at the 8K and above level!

Thanks for replies

I am curious about how the artificial Nagura works. Does it produce slurry from itself or from the King Stone?
What grit is the Nagura, if it produces a finer slurry will it help the King 1200 to cut better?

I found a Knife place that sells diamond credit card sharpeners; they are 1"x3" Dual sided 320 and 800. I'm just wondering if 1" will be wide enough. One place has Arkansas, so I will also look into that.

Thanks