[goat kiss]

I bought a 12K stone a few months ago. It's the only hone I have. Walking in my neighborhood I saw a bricklayer with a water cooled brick saw and got him to cut 3/8" off the end for a slurry stone. Then I lapped both sides. Took forever and used a bunch of sandpaper. Ended up with a really beautiful hone, all sharp edges just slightly rounded. When it came to using the slurry stone I found that a square inch of 2K wet/dry sandpaper works quicker than using the stone. I've only got 3 razors. A Bolta 4/8, a Friodur 9/16 and a Heljestrand 11/16. All are mint. The Bolta and the Friodur took just a few laps to get super sharp. I got the Bolta in 1972 and haven't used it since 1973. It was dull when I oiled and put it away. I just got the Friodur recently and it came factory honed. The Heljestrand was from ebay, never honed and had a tiny bevel. I couldn't understand that. Still in the box, no sign of use. Surely it can't have come from the factory like that? Anyway I set out to try and put a bevel on it with the 12K. I honed that sucker until I was blue in the face. That is the hardest steel I've ever come across. I would think that it wouldn't take much to shatter that blade. Finally this evening I got it popping hairs. I'll give it a few hundred laps on a strop and see how it shaves. If it's not good I'll send it to a honemeister. Life's too short.
GK

[AusTexShaver]

WOW!!! If you can set a bevel on a 12k stone you have WAY more time on your hands than I do. Sometimes when setting a bevel on my 4k I'll run out of patience and either set it aside for later or cheat and use 1k sandpaper for a couple laps.

[Russel Baldridge]

Originally Posted by goat kiss

When it came to using the slurry stone I found that a square inch of 2K wet/dry sandpaper works quicker than using the stone.
GK

If your using 2k sand paper to start a slurry, you are introducing 2k grit into the 12k slurry as well.

The edge would probably benefit from starting over with a pure 12k slurry and then using the stone with just water to finish.

[goat kiss]

Thanks Russel, actually that's exactly what I thought too and that's exactly what I did.
GK

[OLD_SCHOOL]

Your trying to set a bevel with a 12k!? No wonder you went blue in the face. I wouldn't be using a slurry made from 2k sand paper either, coz you will possibly do some micro chipping with the sandpaper. Slurries are made with the same or higher grit stone. Though nowadays a diamond hone can be used, which speeds things up and avoids cross contamination of lower grit particles.
A bevel can be set with 1k sandpaper, but I'd recommend you get yourself a 4/8k hone. That is unless you do have nothing but time on your hands and like to try setting bevels with 12k, but I imagine that novelty would soon wear off.

EDIT: OK so Russel said the same thing, but its always good to emphasize stuff.

[littlesilverbladefromwale]

Setting a bevel with a 12k hone??????????????
Good Lord! Do you have to work for a living too? I'm surprised you have time.
1k or so is used for setting bevels.

[Chris L]

I have been intrigued by the idea of experimenting with slurry on the Chinese 12k. I'm going to use my DMT D8E 1200 grit to get a good mess of slurry going on that stone and see what it does for that stone.

Chris L

[jwoods]

it works like other stones chris it probably drops the level down a few notches as it does in all the stones you use a slurry with i would be careful with your 1200 dmt though i trashed mine fine tuning my hones with it from 320 to 1200 i think my spyderco set really trashed it, ive got t to send it back but im c=sure i know the answer already so why waste 10 dollars shipping something for nothing i would only use that 1200 for bevel setting and kitchen knife sharpening

[Chris L]

Originally Posted by jwoods

it works like other stones chris it probably drops the level down a few notches as it does in all the stones you use a slurry with i would be careful with your 1200 dmt though i trashed mine fine tuning my hones with it from 320 to 1200 i think my spyderco set really trashed it, ive got t to send it back but im c=sure i know the answer already so why waste 10 dollars shipping something for nothing i would only use that 1200 for bevel setting and kitchen knife sharpening

I've got the 600 grit DMT plate as well for smoothing things out a bit between the 325 and the 1200. I haven't had the same issues with using my 1200 to raise slurry on stones. I just rub lightly until the 1200 locks on to the stone, carefully separate them and I'm good to go. You're right though, I have only used the 1200 on natural stones and have not/wouldn't use them on ceramics.

Chris L