Thread: Q about slurry on J-nat

Hi guys,

Just a question about slurry on J-nats - and sorry if I seem a little naive. I have one (about 10,000 grit) and often do a touch up on it (about 50 to 200 strokes) and it brings the edge up nicely. What I want to know is how much will slurry lower the grit (if at all) of the hone. I ask because I also have a coticule and slurry really lowers the grit - is this the same for Japanese hones. When does one use slurry on them? And is slurry used at all when you basically have a shave ready razor but want to get it a little sharper?

Cheers,

Rob.

It won't lower the slurry, it'll just make the hone cut faster and more aggressively. They are all different, so you have to try and see. I have read that slurry from Jnats will break down with use and allow you to get a finer finish than without slurry, but I don't know if that applies to all Jnats or only some, and I don't know if it's actually true. I've never tried slurry on my Asagi and only tried a little bit on another Nakayama I have.

Rob,

I don't think your slurry is hurting anything, in fact it may be improving the edge. The slurry on a awaseto in that range shouldn't be too thick though. So, some experimentation with different types of slurry (light vs. heavy) would be in order.

How hard is you hone BTW?

When I first got my Japanese stone, I played around with 50-100 laps on it with just water and that worked reasonably well.

I found a method here using slurry (I think it was Bruno's actually) that works much better though. I do 25 laps with a medium slurry, 25 with a very light slurry and then 25 with just water to finish off with. That's giving me brilliant edges that are very sharp, but also very smooth.

My coticule responds very differently with slurry, and I agree that it seems to lower the grit far more. My Japanese stone with slurry doesnt seem to lower the grit much, but just adds another dimension to the polish. I also agree with Dylan that it feels like the slurry breaks down as you hone; Theres no sandiness or grittiness to it, it just feels like honing the razor on a block of pure silk.

I agree with Zeth , experiment. You may get improvements in speed, finish &/or versatility with varieties of slurry.

What are you using to create the slurry. Nagura ,diamond plate, same stone ?

Thanks for the informative replies, guys. Stubear, that was exactly what I wanted to know.

Well my stone is just a run of the mill natural stone sold over here. I asked the guy about it and he said it was around 10, 000. It cost about $40 (￥4,000). I don't know how to accurately describe its denseness - but it feels pretty soft compared to a coticule. I have a small 1000 pocket diamond hone to use for rubbing - I remember someone saying some particles can come off the lower grit stones and affect the slurry - but I'm happy to try it and see what happens. Naturally, I have lapped it before.

Anyway, thanks again, and I'll be sure to post the results.

Cheers,

You may or may not find this beneficial:

Eastern Smooth: Honing on Japanese Naturals