Thread: Belgian, Japanese...other weird, slurrific hones?

As far as I've heard, Belgians and Japanese natural hones are the only two hones that make magical slurry (i.e. the slurry contains round garnets, or it's wonderfully frangible, etc.). Do any other hones have special slurry, or just those two?

Every single natural hones will make slurry. Including Escher etc.

Sure, but we don't talk about the others the same way. The slurry properties of those two is sort of an integral part of the way they work, right? Just wondering if they're the only two like that.

The only other one I have read about working up a slurry on occasionally, is the C12k stone. I have yet to try it with mine, but as soon as I can figure out the best way to cut a slurry stone off it, I will

Generally with slurry stone will cut faster then without it. Edge will be finer without slurry.
hope this helps.

Originally Posted by hi_bud_gl

Every single natural hones will make slurry.

Originally Posted by northpaw

Sure, but we don't talk about the others the same way. The slurry properties of those two is sort of an integral part of the way they work, right? Just wondering if they're the only two like that.

Hmmm. I'm not sure I agree with either statement. Most of the Arkansas hones, and the Dalmore Yellow (a Scottish hone), and I'm sure lots of others I haven't tried, will not make a slurry unless perhaps you took a jackhammer or a power-sander to them, and even then I'm not sure the cloud of rock dust you'd be creating would change anything in terms of honing action.

Coticule slurry works in the same way as lots of natural hone slurries – Eschers/Thuringians, Tam O'Shanters, Water of Ayr, etc. Because the garnets are usually partially embedded in the slate matrix of the stone, they cut more slowly and shallowly and produce a finer edge when you hone without slurry. Making a slurry releases them and they roll and spin and scrape and nibble the edge of your passing razor with wild abandon, thereby dramatically speeding up the honing action at some cost to the fineness of the resulting edge. Therefore with all these stones it's common to hone first with slurry then without.

I've never used the Nakayamas, but their slurry may indeed be 'magical' (i.e. unusual) if what people say about it is true, that it gets finer and finer in the course of a honing session as the cutting particles break down.

Originally Posted by dylandog

Hmmm. I'm not sure I agree with either statement. Most of the Arkansas hones, and the Dalmore Yellow (a Scottish hone), and I'm sure lots of others I haven't tried, will not make a slurry unless perhaps you took a jackhammer or a power-sander to them, and even then I'm not sure the cloud of rock dust you'd be creating would change anything in terms of honing action.

yes they all will depends how much time it will take. what is a slurry?
it is a dust comes out of them hones? or small particles.
Arkansas you use sandpaper ,same to charnley use with water they all will.

Thanks, guys.

I thought Belgian hones were similar to Japanese hones, in that the garnets would break down in the slurry, but now I understand that using slurry with them simply speeds up the honing process - as it does with other natural hones.

Guess those Japanese stones are in a class of their own as far as how they work.

I have to agree with Sham on this one. Slurry is the removal of particles from the stone. If the other stones didn't produce a slurry, the stone would never wear out and never need to be re-lapped.

It may not make a noticeable slurry, or one that is beneficial, but I think technically it does produce one IMO.

Originally Posted by avatar1999

I have to agree with Sham on this one. Slurry is the removal of particles from the stone. If the other stones didn't produce a slurry, the stone would never wear out and never need to be re-lapped.

It may not make a noticeable slurry, or one that is beneficial, but I think technically it does produce one IMO.

Oh, sure. I didn't mean that non-slurry stones like black or translucent Arks were like Kryptonite and could never be abraded (though they can certainly seem that way when you're trying to lap them ) I just meant that to my knowledge – and perhaps I'm wrong about this – the result of such abrasion would not be a garnet-rich abrasive milk capable of accelerating or otherwise significantly altering the honing process, which is what people generally mean by slurry.