Thread: vermont green slate whetstone

Originally Posted by Brontosaurus

Am I right to understand that you are moving from an 8k synth that is convex along both the x and the y axes to a flat piece of VT slate? And why the need for slurry at this stage?

On my initial test I used the Dovo Best Quality 5/8 which had been honed on a Norton 8K convexed in both axis. I worked from a light slurry to clear water, the slurry helped haze up the bevel so I could confirm that I was indeed making contact at the apex, moving back. I subsequently diluted down to water and the edge of the bevel started to take a polish as you can see in the photo I took through the loupe. It also gave me some idea of how this stone felt honing with a slurry. I had just received the stone that afternoon so I wasn't really honing with any particular end in mind except feeling the stone out; slurry up, see how it feels, finish to water, strop and test the edge. The 8K being convex was inconsequential, it just happened to be a nice platform to move from since I knew that in theory I should immediately be hitting the apex due to the change in stone geometry which helps take a bit of guesswork out of the exercise.

The Joseph Allen wedge had only had a bevel set from a soft arkansas. I worked this from quite heavy slurry down to water. The slurry was very effective at removing the majority of the stria from the bevel set and producing a nice 'bead blasted' finish from which to observe the subsequent polishing when moving to water. This razor took a fair while but it has a wide bevel with commensurate spine wear, and I was moving from bevel set to finish. The stone performed very well given the circumstances it was required to work within.

I'm not honing 'properly' or whatever, just playing around with the stone. But then again I never really have any kind of fixed progression or method or anything, just whatever you want to do to get a sharp edge. It's all fun.

Griffiths has the green Vermont slate hones in 8 x 3 x 3/4 size. They rate them at equivalent to 10 - 12K grit. He also has a brick which is 8 x 3 x 3.

I have enough hones now including a new la Lune, so I am resisting my HAD, but am anxious to find out about your experience with the Vermont slates.

Originally Posted by DZEC

Griffiths has the green Vermont slate hones in 8 x 3 x 3/4 size. They rate them at equivalent to 10 - 12K grit. He also has a brick which is 8 x 3 x 3.

I have enough hones now including a new la Lune, so I am resisting my HAD, but am anxious to find out about your experience with the Vermont slates.

I've got the green, gray and purple Vermont slates on the way, should be delivered this coming week so I'll post review/comparison with the green/purple mottled. I was tempted to purchase on from Griffith originally but just contacted a quarry direct, much cheaper and you get access to all the other varieties of slate they process, my 10x2x1 was only $30 shipped, the three slates I have on the way (5x2.5x1 with 1x1x2.5 slurry stones) only cost $60 shipped total. The thing with slate is as long as you get a nice consistent piece, yeah, might not be the greatest finisher in the grand scheme of things but they will always be fairly fine and plausible, and if you're lucky and get an exceptional rock you can end up with something quite amazing, not a bad gamble for the low cost of entry.

Another rock I've been playing around with is the purple Argillite that proliferates in the area I live. Been thinking of picking up a tile saw to make some more conventional hones but I just have some pieces that I lapped flat on one face like a primitive cut Ark. There are other colors but the purple seems particularly consistent in texture.

Once I've finished evaluating the slates I can forward you the green if you want. I'll even pay for postage just PM me if interested.

Originally Posted by DZEC

...I have enough hones now including a new la Lune, so I am resisting my HAD,...

Just "enough?" Well then you need to buy some more.

My personal battle with HAD is not going too well either, and this thread is not helping!

SRP is full of enablers. HAD is a tough opponent to fight.

Yes it is....and to think I just got off of phonics.

Slates finally arrived, everything looks in good order. I'll post another photo once I've lapped them all, can't get to it tonight. Excited to put these rocks through testing. Dimensions are 5" x 2.5" x 1" for the base stones and 1" x 1" x 2.5" for the slurry stones. Although they can't be compared due to unevenness in sawing, the purple is noticeably heavier (although not massively so) than the other two, not sure how this will translate into honing but interesting nonetheless.

Looking good.

Can you take some pics of them wet? That should bring out the colour.

Got the purple and gray with their slurry stones lapped up. Only issue was that there was a hairline crack running right through the purple slurry stone that I could see once it got wet so I snapped it into it's two halves (snapped really easily) and cleaned up the broken side and now have two slurry stones haha. I've also been lapping a Droescher Swaty so hitting the plate pretty hard today, will get the green done Monday as I don't do any work on Sundays.

Both stones lapped without issue, the sawing texture was quite fine so lapped away speedily. Went from 100 SiC, to 220 SiC, to 400 Wet/Dry. A couple chips/flakes on some edges and corners from the sawing but it all cleaned up well.

Very interesting appearance on both stones. The purple has some green spots and has this interesting 'holographic' appearance when dry that I haven't seen in other slates. Actually looks extremely similar to the La Lune from the photos I have seen, not sure if that stone is slate though. The gray is very sparkly with these small black streaks and dots that run across the surface.

I made a very light slurry on the purple and just ran a razor across for a while, diluting down to water, to just feel the stone out, very smooth and silky feeling through the dilution. Infinitely smoother feeling than the Welsh Purple imo which always had this slightly gritty feeling although it never seemed to harm the edge. I have high hopes for this stone in particular.

I'll post some images of the green after lapping then will test over the coming week or two before doing a more comprehensive write up.