Don't think anyone's yet mentioned the box they sometimes come in, so here's a shot with the box:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/membe...12kwbox-sm.jpg
and a dry closeup:
[huge version]
http://straightrazorpalace.com/membe...c12kdry-sm.jpg
and a wet closeup:
[huge version]
http://straightrazorpalace.com/membe...c12kwet-sm.jpg
The little veins are definitely brown/red in color, although I can see how they'd appear black at a glance.
I've messed around a little with slurry on mine, but I get the best use out of it with just water, lots of strokes, and zero pressure. I should also mention that I lap it up to 2000 grit wet/dry, since I found that to make a difference.