Thread: Slurry - educate me please

What is the point of slurry?
What difference does it make?
Can someone just fill me in on the whole thing please, when to use it, how, why etc?

Thanks

I dont have any natural stones that use slurry myself, but here are a couple of useful links that hopefully will answer some of your questions!

A simple honing method with DMT-E, Belgian Blue Whetstone and Coticule - Straight Razor Place Wiki

http://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...-coticule.html

Hopefully some other guys who use these stones will chime in as well..!

Slurry helps with the cutting action of the stone.
For Japanese natural stones the slurry also breaks down to fined grit as you use it on the stone.

I am beginning to realize that the word Slurry has but one meaning among SRP honers "Natural Stones"...

This is very, very, very, far from the truth,

Slurry on most every stone increases the cutting action, as Stefan pointed out on a certain type of Japanese natural that slurry then continues to break down and the actually makes the stone smoother, but that is an exception that I personally have yet to experience (I don't doubt it I just haven't seen it)...

Norton's in particular can make an exceptional slurry, I have seen this question so many times "I have a Norton 4/8 what else do I need" the true answer is nothing, you can cut a bevel faster than any coticule on a Norton 4k using slurry, same with the Norton 1k it can fix damaged edges as fast or even faster than a 600 DMT or even the 220 Norton...Without leaving those deep scratches...
Naniwa SS and Shapton GS can be used with a slurry too... The Naniwa 3/8 can be used to set bevels if you want just raise a bit of slurry on the 3k...
Please don't limit slurry to just naturals.. Try the same one stone trick that is in the Wiki about Coticules on a Norton 8k sometime

Any time you need just a touch more cutting power from a stone try making a slurry...

I have used
Synthetic nagura/prep stones
Hard Translucent Arkansas stones
DMT 325 or 600
I am sure other things work to raise the Slurry but that is for you to figure out...

Glen.. .

When you build slurry on your 1k and/or 4kish stone, do you dilute the slurry or just use it to temporarily add cutting power, then rinse off the stone.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

I am beginning to realize that the word Slurry has but one meaning among SRP honers "Natural Stones"...

This is very, very, very, far from the truth,

Slurry on most every stone increases the cutting action, as Stefan pointed out on a certain type of Japanese natural that slurry then continues to break down and the actually makes the stone smoother, but that is an exception that I personally have yet to experience (I don't doubt it I just haven't seen it)...

Norton's in particular can make an exceptional slurry, I have seen this question so many times "I have a Norton 4/8 what else do I need" the true answer is nothing, you can cut a bevel faster than any coticule on a Norton 4k using slurry, same with the Norton 1k it can fix damaged edges as fast or even faster than a 600 DMT or even the 220 Norton...Without leaving those deep scratches...
Naniwa SS and Shapton GS can be used with a slurry too... The Naniwa 3/8 can be used to set bevels if you want just raise a bit of slurry on the 3k...
Please don't limit slurry to just naturals.. Try the same one stone trick that is in the Wiki about Coticules on a Norton 8k sometime

Any time you need just a touch more cutting power from a stone try making a slurry...

I have used
Synthetic nagura/prep stones
Hard Translucent Arkansas stones
DMT 325 or 600
I am sure other things work but that is for you to figure out...

Originally Posted by Slartibartfast

Glen.. .

When you build slurry on your 1k and/or 4kish stone, do you dilute the slurry or just use it to temporarily add cutting power, then rinse off the stone.

Both, it really depends on what I am accomplishing with the stone..

I tell ya when using Lynn's 40 circles to sharp, technique on say a "Wonderful Wedge" I use slurry on my Norton 1k and even those bevels right up, then on the next set of lighter circles I dilute it out, then finally finish with just water but it is not a rule I just go by how the razor is doing...
I might make a quick slurry on the Naniwa 3 or Shapton 4 or Norton 4 to add just a touch of cut to a re-hone then rinse it right off and go back to a normal progression...

However "Slurry" is by far NOT an exact science, which is precisely what led to all that blow up in those Coticule threads, honing in itself is an art and slurry is even more so....You have to experiment, but if you're going to try it try it with synthetics too...

I use slurry on synthetics too, especially when I am setting a bevel. I even go with slurry on a 600 grit sometimes when I have to work a big chip on a wedge or pre bevel set a wedge. I personally do not dilute, just go with it then wash off and go with no slurry to smooth the bevel a bit. I also found that slurry above 4k does not really do much , except on my Jnat finisher. May be I am wrong on this one I don't know.

Originally Posted by mainaman

I also found that slurry above 4k does not really do much , except on my Jnat finisher. Maybe I am wrong on this one I don't know.

There is no wrong or right with this, there really is just what works for you,,
There are just to many variables with using slurry to nail it down,,,Try it, know that the options are at least there, but if it doesn't work for you, just move on and enjoy...

Glen I have a Naniwa 3k/8k combo, but have only used slurry on my naturals. What would you use to generate slurry on the 3k - the nagura?

When I first started those Synthetic naguras/prep stones were about $8 now they are over $16 plus shipping so I stopped using them...

I use a small 4x1x1 Translucent Arkansas now and if by chance I am next to a sink a quick 2-3 figure 8 laps with a DMT 325 or 600 raises the slurry right up...