Thread: Zulu Grey sale - how good are they?

Originally Posted by rolodave

Same as Shaun. I should use mine more.

I should also use mine more but I haven't got the patience to do 100 - 200 laps on a finisher. In the end the 12K Naniwa super stone is just faster to use.

Bob

I gave up try8ng to raise a slurry on mine and opt for windex to add a bit of lubricity that water alone cannot give.
Mark, yes, to me it’s a sharper edge than an escher or coti will provide, but I like that on my full hollows tbh.
My Sheffield’s I like softer, but on singing blades I like the ZG very much, regardless of how many more strokes I may need.
To qualify, I do not own a 12k, I go from norton 8k to either ZG, Coti, Or Escher, Sometimes Coti to escher on fatty’s.
Been meaning to get a 12, just haven’t..
At 50% off the ZG is a steal of a finisher, IMO..
Good luck.

Originally Posted by MikeB52

I gave up try8ng to raise a slurry on mine and opt for windex to add a bit of lubricity that water alone cannot give.
Mark, yes, to me it’s a sharper edge than an escher or coti will provide, but I like that on my full hollows tbh.
My Sheffield’s I like softer, but on singing blades I like the ZG very much, regardless of how many more strokes I may need.
To qualify, I do not own a 12k, I go from norton 8k to either ZG, Coti, Or Escher, Sometimes Coti to escher on fatty’s.
Been meaning to get a 12, just haven’t..
At 50% off the ZG is a steal of a finisher, IMO..
Good luck.

Believe me, I am thinking hard about it. I was even up at 4 am looking at their website again (damn you, Roy!). I just wonder what it would give me that I don't already have in a Nani 12, a really effective, glassy PHIG, a Vermio, a thuri, and a couple of arkies (1 trans and one surgical black). But then again, I may just get one to play with and learn cuz it's fun.

In fact, the longer I do this, I end up selling more and more razors to buy more and more hones.

A HARD stone that is slow. You hear mention above about slurry, it takes that or like mentioned above...5 minutes or more of gentle x strokes. Leaves room for error on that one time you don't place the blade right on the flip. My secret on the zulu was thuringian slurry on it. The thuri slurry breaks down quicker than zulu and seemed to work a bit better for me. It's a nice stone to learn, but if you do not have Naniwa 12k or Shapton 16k perfected....you need to learn those first as naturals are a whole other animal. EVERY stone is as different as you and I are.

I passed mine on to another forum mod member who has stepped out from SRP and back to work to help his son finish college.

Originally Posted by ScoutHikerDad

Believe me, I am thinking hard about it. I was even up at 4 am looking at their website again (damn you, Roy!). I just wonder what it would give me that I don't already have in a Nani 12, a really effective, glassy PHIG, a Vermio, a thuri, and a couple of arkies (1 trans and one surgical black). But then again, I may just get one to play with and learn cuz it's fun.

In fact, the longer I do this, I end up selling more and more razors to buy more and more hones.

When I was considering mine, I contacted a friend who is a pro honer about it. At the time he said that about 70% of all blades that left his bench had a Zulu Grey edge.

I find with slurry that it really doesn't take that much to smooth out an edge. Maybe 25-30 with slurry, then 20 or so with clear water then about 10 or so with some Windex sprayed on.

Originally Posted by ScoutHikerDad

Believe me, I am thinking hard about it. I was even up at 4 am looking at their website again (damn you, Roy!).

You are most welcome however; please keep in mind that it wasn't 'I' who orginally posted about the sale

I don't like slow. Honing either!

Originally Posted by sharptonn

I don't like slow. Honing either!

Me either. I like the stone but I have perfected the 12k Nani. For the guys who say it’s rough they just don’t know how. I did a challenge with the guys with their jnats and eschews oh a coticule. My 12k is just as smooth and keen and only takes a few swipes. I don’t like honing or I would use my Zulu more but I hate, detest and loath honing. It’s something I find pretty useless I want to with a straight if I want to hone I’ll get my knives out once a year. I’m sorry but I never found the appeal of all these guys honing all the time cause if you ain’t doing it for a living. Your edges can’t be that good if your honing every week. I can get with my wire beard 100-150 shaves or 2-4 ultra light laps on a dry 12k Nani and I never have a diminished edge

Honing is necessary. Let's get it done!

Me? I just like to shave!

Originally Posted by sharptonn

I don't like slow. Honing either!

That's why I hone on the green brick, 4,8,16K Shapton GS, then YG Escher. Quick and perfect every time! Most every time...I have had to go back to the 8K a couple times, but that was my fault of not staying on top of my game and honing regularly.

Zulu

I have had mine for some time now, it was Gifted from a member here that hated it

There was some pushback against these stones for some time on here, I finally asked if anyone had "One of the Bad ones" to send it to me so I could REALLY test it out.

A really nice 8x3 appeared here in the North Idaho Woods I worked it a few different ways before I settled in on a light slurry raised with a 325 plate after the 8k or 10k level

The owner said he never wanted to see that stone again and gifted it to me, I have used it since that time..

I find it to be a great fit for many Solingen and American Vintage razors, it isn't fast, but I don't find it to be exceptionally slow either, harder than a Thuringen/Escher, but delivers a similar finish. If I were to guess at a stroke count it would be under 100

If I were to guess at a stroke count on my Escher it would be around 60 coming off the same point in the ladder

If you own a quality Thuringen you don't NEED one but it is a nice stone

IMHO it is either the best or second-best of the "New" stones being sold out there now, I have only matched or beat the finish from mine with one Apache Strata stone I tested, the second one I tested didn't quite match it.

Anyway that is my experience with the stone