Thread: nagura slurry stones

i have two c-12k slurry stones and a iyoto slurry stone which one would be the best for my nakayama stone or should i get a different slurry stone . i would like some advice on slurry stones dont know much about them except that they help with the cutting process ( i would like to know about the different kinds of slurry stones) thanks

What is your goal? I'd be happy to talk your ear off about slurry stones but it helps to have a target in mind...

talk away jim i want to know every thing about slurry stones which slurry stones are appropriate for which sharpening stones thats one question and any other info you could supply will be appreciated thanks

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Originally Posted by eleblu05

i have two c-12k slurry stones and a iyoto slurry stone which one would be the best for my nakayama stone or should i get a different slurry stone . i would like some advice on slurry stones dont know much about them except that they help with the cutting process ( i would like to know about the different kinds of slurry stones) thanks

c-12k slurry stone will be better, Iyoto stones is to coarse and will ruin you nakayama.

Sorry guys, I've been busy and this thread slipped my mind.

When talking about Japanese stones and the accepted wisdom of honing with them, there are two things to keep in mind.

The first is, for razors, the harder the stone the better. What you want, basically, is a stone that will only release new particles when you want it to--a soft stone will constantly be giving off fresh, big pieces of grit that can stand in the way of putting a really good edge on your razor.

The second is, there are two kinds of slurry.

The first slurry is that made by "nagura." The true Nagura, Mikawa nagura, are a kind of quartz-rich tuff. The quartz acts as the primary abrasive, I understand. The nagura should be softer than your stone, and so you can create a slurry based primarily on the nagura itself. The nagura slurry will hone much faster than slurry raised from the awaseto itself, because of the relative size and shape of the abrasive, as well as the resistance to breakdown that the nagura slurry has. Nagura slurry is stable, meaning its effects don't really change in the course of honing.

The second type of slurry, the finishing slurry, is one raised entirely from awaseto stones. This means you use your finishing hone and another, smaller, piece of finishing stone to raise a smooth slurry composed solely of finishing hone particles. The Kyoto stones are, as I understand it, siliceous shales, with the main abrasive power coming from the concentration of silica Diatom shells. These fragments, like little glass plates, start to shatter in the honing action as they are run between the hard stone and the razor's steel. As they break down, the particles lose a lot of their power to eat away the steel, but at the same time their smaller profile lends them a strong polishing power, making the edge smoother and less "saw-toothed."

This is why a hard stone is better--you can control the breakdown of the slurry and thus control the level of honing vs. the level of polishing. This is also the biggest challenge to honing with these hones, learning to control the slurry and knowing when to make fresh slurry are the real test of Japanese honing.

So then, for heavy work--flattening concave bevels, taking out small chips, etc., you need a coarser slurry stone, and for finishing work you need a fine one.

Unfortunately I don't know much about Iyoto stones, but they seem really soft and crumbly. This can be a problem raising slurry because a really soft hone can drop off big chunks in the slurry and that's bad news for a thin razor edge. I'd avoid it, personally.

As for the chinese 12K, it might be an option. It's hard, and if it's harder than your awaseto it could help raise a nice slurry from it. Just be careful that you don't scratch or gouge your hone surface. I also don't know how the Chinese hone will work in releasing its own particles, nor what they are etc.

All you can do is play with it. See how it works. Tweak and experiment for yourself...that's half the fun!

I hope this helps.

I have had Iyoto slurry stone before, it was not good for razors it would release small chunks of the stone that you can feel while honing. I got mine from the same source as the OP so unless much higher quality (which I doubt) the stone will behave the same.

I'd go with diamond plate for slurry its most versatile IMHO.

Originally Posted by mainaman

I have had Iyoto slurry stone before, it was not good for razors it would release small chunks of the stone that you can feel while honing.

IMO It's not good for knifes too. That nagura is just not good for anything

Crap! Just ordered one! Should have searched more, perhaps, but I am looking for a rough grit stone for knife shaping, so it may still meet my needs.

I think you're safe as long as you will be using the Iyoto as a standalone stone. I think they were just saying it sucks as a nagura.