Thread: Using old slurry as paste for strop

First, some back-story: I was using my Nakayama a few months ago, I had to do some moderate edge refreshing, a bit shy of a full bevel reset. Since I had most of my hones packed up and didn't feel like getting them out again (moving to a new house), I whipped up a decent slurry and did the deed, progressing all the way to finishing with a light slurry per the usual.

After I left the stone to dry, I wandered by and looked at all that dried slurry on top of the stone and gots me an idea!

The method: I grabbed my SRD strop, and proceeded to rub that stone and the little nagura all over the 3" webbed strop until the stone looked nice and shiny again, it left a light tan dusting which hasn't changed appearance much since... aka no steel build-up visible.

I have been using that as a step before linen and leather to refresh an edge with the same razor for a while now, I think at least 2 months. I shave every other day.


Results: So far, I like the edge from this better than Chrome Ox. I would say it's a bit slower, and it doesn't leave the same...synthetic shine(?) that the CrO2 does.

The edge still feels awesome, smooth as the Chrome Ox, but it is a bit different, almost a bit sharper as it bites into the whiskers or something. I dunno.


It seems like a very good use for that left-over slurry without washing it away, and it shined up my stone too.

Seems like a promising "new" use for slurry, eh?

You'll note, if you look a lot into Japanese naturals, that there are sellers who sell powdered stones - essentially dried slurry. Also, I'm pretty sure there are some stones used in the process of polishing katanas that are used exclusively after they have been crushed and impregneted into (I think) rice paper. Very nice that you have been able to save your slurry. I have always wondered if those who cut stones to make slurry stones or to make their own combo stones are able to save the slurry produced from the cutting, or if there is any contamination from the degredation of whatever is used to make the cuts. Saving slurry from lapping (esecially if lapping is done with a DMT or other stone that does not break down) has crossed my mind, but seems like a lot of effort (especially since I lap under running water to avoid runing my DMT and don't want to have to evaporate lots of water for a little powder).

That's actually where I got the seed-idea for "pasting" the strop actually.

I figured there's nothing better than a good Nakayama slurry for the job!

That's a very interesting idea, thanks for sharing.

What is your nagura? Is it one of those little white stones, or a little piece of Nakayama? I ask because my slurry stone for my Nakayama is just a little piece of Nakayama.

It's a little piece of a japanese hone from O_S, I don't know if it was a Nakayama though. Either way, it's equivalent to my larger hone.