Clogged hone - what to do?

Someone gave me this hone. I have used it without lubrication, but I beleive it was clogged before.

It's a Swaty hone.

I want to be able to use it.

How do I find out if oil was used or water?
How do I clean it off? I have some hard spyderco stainless steel clogged in there.
How do I make it flat again? I think it has an "pit" in the middle.

Thanks

There are many ways to clean this stone. I don't have one of those stones so I can't say much about THAT make of stone. But all you need to flatten a stone is some wet and dry sand papper and a FLAT firm surface. Or a DMT D8C plate :D

Basicly you need a flat abrasive surface that you can grind away the surface of your stone to level it out.

If you splash some water on a stone and it beads up, it's probably full of oil. You can also smell it if you put the stone up to your nose. I use Easy Off Fume Free to de-oil stones. Do it in the kitchen sink. Let the Easy Off work on the stone to lift the oil out. Rinse and repeat. Several times if necessary.

Flattening stones. I recommend a DMT 8" Coarse diamond stone for a lifetime of flattening stones and sharpening anything else in the house or garage. It is an excellent tool. Some people recommend flattening stones on sandpaper but I find that too slow, too inconvenient, and too messy. I can flatten a stone in about 1 minute if the "dish" in the center isn't too deep using the DMT stone.

Some people also recommend using a Norton flattening stone and that works as well but works best on waterstones such as the Norton for which it is made.

The long range advice . . . given that you have invested in a quality tool like a Dovo razor, get a quality stone like a Norton or Belgian Coticule. It's not hard or difficult to hone and it's much easier with good tools.

"Good tools are cheap but cheap tools aren't so good"

Howard, I have a question for you regarding your site. You mention "DMT® stones for sharpening anything but straight razors" Why is this? How about that new DMT, D8EE whetstone?

I have a Dovo SS razor and I am looking at diferent options for stones. Any recommendations for Stainless Steel razors?

I appreciate your expert sharpening knowledge.

Thanks,
Ron

The Fume off will remove dirt and oil but to remove the steel you will need either another similar stone which historically was called a "rubbing stone" or sandpaper or one of the diamond hones. The diamond hone is also the best option for flattening.

The workhorse hone used by a lot of people here is the Norton 4000/8000. It will definitely get your razor shaving sharp.