Thread: Norton 8k slurry?

At Woodcraft -BUT- don't get hung up on the Nagura you can use just about anything to raise a cutting slurry, even those small cheap DMT credit card sized hones... I have used an Arkansas stone a Coticule even a few real Japanese Nagura stones the Norton prep stone is rather pricey I think the other ones are much cheaper and work the same normally you can find them for $8 by Googling "Artificial Nagura"

I've got an old Arkansas knife hone, 4x.75, wonder if that would do any bit of good.

I have almost the same, an old Arkie a 4 x 1 x 1 that I have used on the Norton 4/8 and on a PHIG worked pretty darn good try it out and see

I just finished honing 2 of my razors and used My Norton 4/8 for one and my Phig to finish the other. I honed them just like gssixgun (kinda just like, it takes me much longer) showed in his videos using light slurry made with a DMT325 and at last I really made some progress in my honing. His videos are great and the more I watch and listen the more I pick out of them. I made really sure my bevel was set at 1k and could really see the bevel working its way into an even state with my loop. Before with my honing I have been rushing to move to the next level or stone and can see that has been a mistake. Today I could really shave arm hair after 1k and my bevel just looked right. I have the sharpest edges on my razors now, at least the sharpest that I personally created so far and cant wait to shave wih them in the morning, I hope they come out smooth also. I like using the slurry and Im finding out that if I just be patient and stay on the hone at each level and get my particualr sharpness test to pass I can do allright, still so much to learn but I feel really good about it today, I guess I will see how well I did after my shave though.

Glenn C AKA Double NN

Strange story about slurry:

My entire honing success can be linked to slurry. I started with naniwa setup and couldn't even refresh an edge. I was later given a BBW, suddenly I was getting great edges, while not the sharpest they were very smooth. I took this success and purchased a coticule; same thing, the edges were about the same as off the BBW. I continued to attempt my hand at the naniwa system to no avail. I went to a meet where Glen spent some time with synthetics using slurry. I went home and started getting repeatable success first using slurry as a one stone hone method on the naniwas, then later a thinned slurry at the start of each grit in the progression. I can now honestly say that I chose to use the slurry as I or the razor pleases and as a general rule it usually pleases me.

Now I'm into japanese stones fairly heavy; the slurry there is totally different.

Double N: I just got a new polisher, let's scare the hair into not growing back. Plus I'm off for a while.

I've honed all but one of my own razors using a King 1k and a Norton 4/8. I take the stone, use sandpaper and a flat surface to clean the stone and build up a slurry, take a 1" arkansas stone and work up even more slurry and use the exact same method you describe, honing for a while until it gets as smooth as it can on that stone, then diluting out to clear water. On the 8k side, i dilute to clear water and then hone until the stone goes dry. I've gotten the majority of this method(sans the sandpaper) from Glen's videos and it's worked perfectly for me, I get a comfortable shave out of all my razors.

Well I went ahead and ordered the Norton prep stone. $23 shipped to my door from Amazon. Anyone know what grit the prep stone is?

Originally Posted by DerekC

Well I went ahead and ordered the Norton prep stone. $23 shipped to my door from Amazon. Anyone know what grit the prep stone is?

IME the Norton Prep stone is aggresive and good for speeding up things up 4k but there are finer slurries out there when you are working on many finishing stones. Tomanaguras, a Phig rubber or a Thurry rubber work great on finishing stones.
You can try the NPS on your finsher and let us know how it worked for you, what works for one person and their honing style may not work for another honer.

Tried it out on a couple of razors. Prep stone on the PHIG and close to 50 laps, diluting to water around 30. Not too impressed. Prep stone seems to come off too much, making the slurry mostly prep stone instead of finisher. I think it would work great for the 4/8k, but it makes the finisher too rough. Did a quick test shave immediately after, came out a bit rough. Will spend more time stropping it tomorrow and producing respectable lather and see how it turns out.

After a light lapping to be flat I try to never wash
a free good slurry down the drain until it has scored
a bit of steel.

Using the free natural slurry and diluting it gives
an extended range to a hone.

Mustard like and thick is a bit too much for me but
if it works for you -- enjoy.

You can go so far as to let the mustard drip
on a PHIG and let it warm it up. i.e. As long
as you dilute it systematically it can be a good
thing to add some mustard to a PHIG for some
razors and some PHIGs.