Thread: Artificial Nagura Stone?

I just got my Norton 4K/8K in the mail today, and everything I've read says you need to work up a slurry on the surface of the 8K for it to work as it's supposed to, and to leave the slurry to dry on the stone afterwards. Is there a readily available substitute for the Nagura stone, or do I need to just break down and get the Nagura? I also have a Belgian coticule. Can the same stone used on the 8K waterstone be used to make a slurry on the coticule? I guess I was thinking of something like the small pumice stones you can buy at Wally World for a buck.