Thread: Ordering Zulu Grey Hones

Originally Posted by jkatzman

Just got a email the stone was shipped

I am glad your rock in on the way. If it is like mine, it is worth the wait.

I think Michael got overwhelmed with orders over a short period. I communicated with Michael directly and suggested that he make his web site a little more transparent. For example, his idea of "in stock" is that he has raw stones of an appropriate size and quality to produce a hone. For most people reading that phrase, "in stock" means sitting on the shelf ready to be packed and shipped. I think most vendors here update the inventory on their web sites, perhaps even daily. I doubt Michael is able to update his web site so quickly. Thus, his web site might show "in stock" whereas he already has more orders than his current inventory will cover. In that case, he has to go out an dig up more rock. He has to do everything himself and he does not make enough money selling hones to make this a full time job.

Thus, for anyone interested in a ZG, lower your expectations on delivery, but there is no need to lower your expectations on quality. Michael ships good stones. I have not honed enough razors to give a comprehensive review of my ZQ, but on those razors I have honed, I got keen, comfortable edges. It would have been nice to get my stone a little quicker, but not that I have the stone in hand, I am not disappointed. I cannot say that about every shaving purchase I have made.

What he said!!! ^^^^

Just got my stone with a slurry stone and travel stone that was included because of the delay. Took it out for a try with my new Jacob Ray razor. Tried it with water then with oil. Oil seems to work very good. I compared it with my Ark surgical black and so far prefer the Zulu. I like the feedback. It's slick but not glassy like the Ark. Blade seems very sharp and will shave with it tomorrow to see how it does. I also will try the Zulu dry. I found the Ark works great dry.

For the best of both worlds, try "Glycerin which is water soluble and washes off cleanly. It works for me with quite a few stones.
Nothing new here, this info is posted from time to time.

~Richard

Here's the picture of the Zulu Grey 3 x 8, travel and slurry stones. I have used 9 razors on the Zulu with water, glycerin-water mix and dry. I really like the results dry. My observation is there is more feed back on the Zulu then on my Ark surgical black. The edge on the Zulu dry then lapped on a strop gives a really smooth polished edge that shaves much better with less irritation then without the Zulu. I took my 2016 Mastro Livi Club razor which I felt is very sharp but I've alway got a shave that irritated my face. I felt it might have been the steel or the fact the blade is very flexible. Anyway, 20 laps on a dry Zulu and it's like a completely different razor. No more irritation.

Update on my Zulu Grey. Since receiving it, I have only had a need to refresh a few razors. Yesterday, I shaved with a Ertan Suer Le Grelot Wings. The blade was tugging, so I picked up another razor to complete my shave.

Afterwards, I took the Ertan Suer razor to the ZG. I wet the stone, cleaned the top using a 2000 grit sanding sponge but did not raise a slurry. I then added a couple of drops of liquid hand soap as a lubricant.

I picked up the razor performed a series of circles and x-strokes and then stropped the blade. In fewer than five minutes, the edge was keen and smooth, ready for a great shave. The blade would easily pop arm hair 1/2 inch above skin level. What else could you want from a finishing/refreshing stone?

I had a wonderful shave with the last razor i finished on the Zulu. I found it as keen as off the 20k. Went fr9m 12k to the zulu. 50/50 water and Balistol for 50 to 70 laps. Then added a couple drops of Balistol every 20 or 30 la0s until i was at no water and straight balistol. I was gett8ng a good amount of resistance fr9m the thick oil but kept it up. M7st have done 250+ laps.

Razor was a Boker 4/8 and i got a BBS shave from it and id say it might have felt a little more comfortable than a 20k edge but at that point its hard to say. Keen and slid thru the whiskers.

So try some water based oils. It works great on a Zulu.

I've been using a 50/50 mix of Balistol and water and 60 laps. Works great.