Thread: Zulu Grey sale - how good are they?

If anyone is interested. Or wants to contact Mike. Here 's were your money went.
https://www.silvergate.design/contact/

I hate to piss on anyone’s parade, but I thought this Zulu grey fad ended more than 5 years ago.

I remember buying one when everyone was proclaiming it was the affordable equivalent of a Escher. I sold mine after realizing it was pretty useless.

It's an interesting thread to follow. A few years ago, right when I was really getting into honing, I almost pulled the trigger on a Zulu Grey as they were also 50% off at the time. Right at the last minute contacted Mike to ask about the differences between it and the Silkvein. We exchanged a few emails and, without getting into it, there was something in the interaction that really didn't sit right with me and I stopped even considering him as a vendor option.

It's too bad because I really do like the underdog story of 'guy finds awesome stone' that competes with the best naturals history has to offer; but, as with all things in my life, I'd rather pay more and support the people and values they represent than simply get a deal or something I think is otherwise cool.

I gotta disagree completely, even with my negative seller interaction. The hone itself-I got a loaner 3x8" from TC-gives up brilliant edges on my razors, in my hands. I have no issue with the finished product itself. This one is almost mirror-smooth, and produces the most effortless smooth edges I have ever gotten aside from my little Escher on a few light sets of Escher slurry dilutions, then about 50 on plain water and maybe 50 more on water and a drop of Dawn dish soap. YMMV as we say, especially with Naturals-they did get mixed reviews.

I sent Michael an email from my acct I ordered my own ZG 3x8 from years back, last night.
Basically saying putout a note of explanation if you want to keep your rep intact.
I too find mine to be a very effective hard, fine finisher.
I have a Coti, and escher and put this stone in between those two fir edge. Keener than coti, not quite as keen as eschers. Slow, hard to slurry, 100 stroke stone, but smooth and fine.
Hope he gets his shinola together..
Cheers.

Originally Posted by ScoutHikerDad

I gotta disagree completely, even with my negative seller interaction. The hone itself-I got a loaner 3x8" from TC-gives up brilliant edges on my razors, in my hands. I have no issue with the finished product itself. This one is almost mirror-smooth, and produces the most effortless smooth edges I have ever gotten aside from my little Escher on a few light sets of Escher slurry dilutions, then about 50 on plain water and maybe 50 more on water and a drop of Dawn dish soap. YMMV as we say, especially with Naturals-they did get mixed reviews.

Yeah but the Zulu reviews are all over the map, giving the impression there's something weird about the sourcing or the vendor just doesn't care about consistent quality of hone he produces. Compare that to Apache Strata hones, which seem to have much more consistent (and consistently positive) reviews.

For disclosure, I have neither but researched both extensively. Came close to pulling the trigger on an Apache and then decided I needed yet another Ark for some stupid reason...

Originally Posted by HungeJ0e

Yeah but the Zulu reviews are all over the map, giving the impression there's something weird about the sourcing or the vendor just doesn't care about consistent quality of hone he produces. Compare that to Apache Strata hones, which seem to have much more consistent (and consistently positive) reviews.

For disclosure, I have neither but researched both extensively. Came close to pulling the trigger on an Apache and then decided I needed yet another Ark for some stupid reason...

I have tested quite a few now over the years, the one I own was actually deemed to be a "Bad One"

Customer service is another issue, but the Hones are pretty good

https://sharprazorpalace.com/hones/1...ml#post1890187

Originally Posted by Badgister

I hate to piss on anyone’s parade, but I thought this Zulu grey fad ended more than 5 years ago.

I remember buying one when everyone was proclaiming it was the affordable equivalent of a Escher. I sold mine after realizing it was pretty useless.

Affordable equivalent? They must have been a lot cheaper at the time.

Originally Posted by MikeB52

I sent Michael an email from my acct I ordered my own ZG 3x8 from years back, last night.
Basically saying putout a note of explanation if you want to keep your rep intact.
I too find mine to be a very effective hard, fine finisher.
I have a Coti, and escher and put this stone in between those two fir edge. Keener than coti, not quite as keen as eschers. Slow, hard to slurry, 100 stroke stone, but smooth and fine.
Hope he gets his shinola together..
Cheers.

MikeB52-I don't even try to slurry on the stone itself, it's so hard. As I said in another thread, I make thuri slurry on a DMT 325 plate, and then drip it onto the Zulu. As for keeping his rep intact, I think that ship has left the harbor, and is rapidly sailing away.

As for different people calling them bad versus good, I am developing this theory that, even though any fool can get a keen edge off a Nani 12k using similar techniques as the next honer, different guys bond with different naturals for all kinds of different reasons. For example, I have a friend who is a very experienced honer, and doesn't feel like he gets a decent edge off of any Escher-and he's owned quite a few and sold them. Hell, everybody likes Eschers, just not him! Some guys don't like Vermios, but the guy at Griffith's sure does!

I decided not to wait any longer, and I opened a claim through PayPal. Hopefully I'll get the money back, and maybe I'll put the money towards a different stone - although maybe not, since the corona virus has caused so much financial instability.