What Slurry Stone and Where to Buy?

[temjeito]

I've got a small coticule (I've been told it is probably a la grise) that I would like to start using, but I do not have a slurry stone. I have read that many recommend a softer stone than the coticule itself, but others say just use a piece of the same coticule.

Any advice on what to get and where to get it?

Here is a pic of the coti (it's about 1.5x4 inches):

 

[daflorc]

You might be able to order a coticule slurry stone from ardennes. It is unlikely that it will be from the same vein. With that in mind, since every coticule has different properties (some fast, some slow, some finishers, some not) your best bet is to get a DMT plate of 600 grit or so. This synthetic, metal hone plate will not leave particles of itself on the coticule (after a bit of breaking in) but will create slurry using your coticule itself. By using a DMT, the slurry you raise will be of your coticule itself, and not of a foreign slurry stone. This is ideal, because the slurry does much of the cutting on a coticule, and you probably want to see what your coticule can do...

 

[temjeito]

Thanks, daflorc, that's the best answer I could have hoped for!!! I just ordered a couple of DMT plates (600 and 1200), so I will definitely use the 600 to raise the slurry, and that's some $$ in my pocket for something else!

 

[Doc226]

You can get a slurry stone from Jarrod at the superior shave.

 

[BakerAndBadger]

I would follow Doc's advice - you'll use your coti up a lot quicker I would imagine by using a DMT plus we aren't talking JNATs here so as long as the slurry stone is a coti it'll release the same type of garnets that the base stone has. I personally use new slurry stones on vintage cotis and have no problem.

 

[Obiwan]

I'd say either will work fine. I have used both with success.

 

[BakerAndBadger]

I'd say either will work fine. I have used both with success.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it won't work but I presume you'll use the coti up more quickly especially if its a softer one.

 

[Brooksie967]

The credit card sized dmt's work wonders for this. The amount you are going to use them to hone isn't an issue when considering the life of the stone.

 

[Gamma]

Getting a slurry stone is a rite of passage. Missing out on that is cutting the experience short.
You can use a DMT if you want to of course. But for 20 bucks I can't see not having a slurry stone making any sense.
Plus - why bother with finding a loose diamond in your slurry when you don't have to?
Yes - that can happen; it's happened to me, and yes the plate was broken in. That's not exactly news.
Some say it never happens to them. Maybe it just hasn't happened yet.

Doesn't matter what vein or stone it came off of either. Any slurry stone will work just fine.
Anyone telling you that a slurry stone needs a matching stone or it should be from a finisher or matching vein or whatever is seriously confused.

 

[TheLegalRazor]

Jarrod at The Superior Shave is the best source for coticules, slurry stones and bouts. He photographs each individual stone. In some cases he'll specify the vein. And he's great at responding to any email questions.

 

[Kentos]

You could also post a WTB. Lots of guys here have more than they really need...

 

[domino]

If the slurry stone is described as extra hard, could that cause a problem creating slurry?

 

[Gamma]

If the slurry stone is super hard, and so it the Coti - like say a glass-top Verte - maybe.
Not impossibly so though.
Plus - I've found that I liked the results of such a combination so there's that.

 

[domino]

Gamma, thks for info..

 

[BJJ]

+1 for the DMT card ! a nice thing is that you would use the slurry from its own stone.

 

[Gamma]

gamma, thks for info..

yw

 

[rickboone1]

Classicedge.ca

 

[SliceOfLife]

I recall that thesuperiorshave used to carry slurry stones from around $11-30 or so depending on the stone. I'd check there.

I wouldn't worry about matching the vein or the stone in any way beyond it being another coticule, in fact I prefer to do exactly the opposite. My favorite coticule pair to hone on is a very hard and smooth vintage and a very creamy, soft, fast slurry (also vintage), two of the most different coticule pieces I've owned.

I'd actually pay a lot more attention to a piece of advice from Gamma, here:

If the slurry stone is super hard, and so it the Coti - like say a glass-top Verte - maybe.

This is VERY good advice in my book. If your coticule is very hard, I feel you should put in a little effort to get a softer slurry stone to save you a LOT of time raising thicker slurries. Unlike Gamma, I didn't enjoy working with a very hard coti + very hard slurry. As he says, you can certainly do it: but raising a thick slurry (say for beveling) takes quite a bit of time that I'd prefer not to spend. I didn't notice any difference in my edges or any difference in my honing procedure after raising the slurry, when I switched to a much softer slurry stone + the same (very hard) base stone.

Keep in mind these are not jnats, the particles that do the cutting (or at least the vast majority of it) don't break down, and I don't believe any one has ever tested or confirmed that the garnets varied from vein to vein. If anything, I believe the commonly held opinion is the opposite, that the differences between coticules are how readily the garnets are released and possibly to some degree the concentration of garnets.

I've even seen some people use bbw as a slurry stone for coticule, but I haven't worked with that much myself, so I can't comment on it. Bart (or other members) at coticule.be may be able to help you there. Since it doesn't save you much, and I'm unaware of any perceived advantages to using bbw to slurry coticules, I'd just get a coticule in either case.

 

[oakeshott]

You could also post a WTB. Lots of guys here have more than they really need...

The devil you say. I don't see how that's possible.

 

[temjeito]

User Raithskar has generously offered to send me one of his slurry stones.

Have I mentioned that I love this board?