Slurry Stone or Shaving Soap?

[Richard]

I'm getting ready to buy my first Nortonw 4k/8k and was wondering if I need a Belgian Yellow Coticule stone to create the slurry. I've seen some on this forum say shaving soap works as well. Any observations from you honemeisters out there?

Rich

“All good things arrive unto them that wait – and don’t die in the meantime.” – Mark Twain

 

[joel]

I'm getting ready to buy my first Nortonw 4k/8k and was wondering if I need a Belgian Yellow Coticule stone to create the slurry. I've seen some on this forum say shaving soap works as well. Any observations from you honemeisters out there?

Rich

“All good things arrive unto them that wait – and don’t die in the meantime.” – Mark Twain

Rich,
You may have misunderstood. A Belgian Coticule uses a slurry stone (made of a piece of the same grade of Belgian Coticule) - however a Norton is designed to be used with JUST water. There is no need to put lather or shaving soap on it, in fact it would not work as well if you did so.

Norton does make a slurry stone specific to their hones, however I find it does more harm than good.

Basically - if you're getting a norton, you don't need a slurry stone. If you are getting a Belgian Coticule, you do.

 

[Taz]

Joel is right stay away from the slurry stone with the Norton. I keep mine stored in water with a touch of bleach. I really like the effect this has on the stone and find I use less water when honing and sems to glide easier.

 

[joel]

Joel is right stay away from the slurry stone with the Norton. I keep mine stored in water with a touch of bleach. I really like the effect this has on the stone and find I use less water when honing and sems to glide easier.

Just as a heads up - some fellas have had their nortons (that have been stored in water 24/7) fall apart on them. They aren't very expensive stones, so it shouldn't be a major deal if it goes south on you, but the manufacturer doesn't "recommend" it.

Hope this helps.

 

[Richard]

Thanks fellas! This is what makes this forum so great!

Rich

“Be respectful to your superiors, if you have any” – Mark Twain

 

[Richard]

If you are getting a Belgian Coticule, you do.

So what is the difference between the BC and the Norton? Also, with the Norton, Joel, if storing in water isn't the best idea, how much should I soak it before using it?

Rich

“If man could be crossed with a cat it would improve man, but it would deteriorate the cat.” – Mark Twain

 

[papasmurf]

So what is the difference between the BC and the Norton? Also, with the Norton, Joel, if storing in water isn't the best idea, how much should I soak it before using it?

Rich

“If man could be crossed with a cat it would improve man, but it would deteriorate the cat.” – Mark Twain

Rich you can follow this guide. in the guide that I linked you to he says about 15 minutes


Nick

 

[FloppyShoes]

So what is the difference between the BC and the Norton? Also, with the Norton, Joel, if storing in water isn't the best idea, how much should I soak it before using it?

Rich

“If man could be crossed with a cat it would improve man, but it would deteriorate the cat.” – Mark Twain

BC is a natural stone with microscopic garnet crystals in it (harder than steel). It's cut out of the earth, shaped and sold. Garnet crystals that are free floating in water will cut faster than simply rubbing the edge on the surface of the stone. Hence the need for a slurry stone to abrase the hone and release some crystals into the water. This slurry stone either must be of the same type and grit as the hone so as to maintain the uniformity of particle sizes in the slurry.

Norton stones use a ceramic base which holds another type of crystal (Most likely a carbide, aluminum perhaps). The abrasive crystals are first made/cultured, pulverized and sorted according to grit ranges (the wideness of this range depends on the manufacturer, application and type of abrasive). The abrasive is then mixed with the ceramic medium and cast or extruded before final shaping and such. The result is similar to a natural stone, but more homogeneous and controlled.

Unlike the BC, synthetic stones mostly do not require a slurry. I would venture a guess that this is because the ceramic medium in synthetic stones is softer and allows the crystals to protrude more than the relatively hard stone medium of a natural stone. In lay terms, the norton has similar sized crystals, but allows more than just the tips to be used.

Other considerations should be made for the particle size gradation and hardness of the abrasive crystals. This, perhaps, is a little too in depth for most. Do they give PhD's for razorology?

Anyways, as for how long to soak it... I say about 10-20 minutes should do. I normally dunk it and get everything else set up. Then, by the time I have everything else ready, it's saturated. If you remove it from the water and it makes a hissing sound it's probably not wet enough.

 

[Thebigspendur]

Actually, with the BC you don't need to use a slurry stone with it. It will do quite nice by itself and as you use it a slurry will form by itself. If you do use a slurry it will change its characteristics somewhat. It will then work faster.