In other words, is it ok to hone your stone in it's wooden case, and get it wet. I really don't want a plastic case, or one of them fancy metal clamps, but I do want to use a waterstone. Can I leave the stone in the box when I hone?
Presumably the box has to be some sort of hardwood?

What did people do 100 years ago to stop the stone sliding around when wet honing? I presume they did exactly that, left it in a wooden box, and poured water over it?

Question for you old skoolers out there.