Slate for sharpening
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I'm afraid you're confusing slate and Belgian Blue Brocken, who look the same but the last contain garnet as an abrasive. Belgian Blue is great as a finisher, result comparable to JIS4000. A bit slow. Very effective for deburring. I start use with... saliva. You may obtain even finer results when diluting with water.
Even more charged with the same garnets is the white/yellow Belgian Coticule, will work a bit faster.
Even more charged with the same garnets is the white/yellow Belgian Coticule, will work a bit faster.
I used slate for a while, I liked it, use it every once in a blue moon for my Sabatier and my blade did my electric hair cutter.
Mostly because I like the idea of trying different natural options for sharpening.
It's a different beast then jnats, for instance don't expect to do nice cosmetic finishes with it, and is generally hard stones. I hear the stones in the 8k and 10k range work better then the 12k range, but I'm not talking from personal experience, I just have one in the 8k range.
Don't know how the numbers translate to jis scale, some follow different scales for the grain size, but it's definitely a fine finish
Mostly because I like the idea of trying different natural options for sharpening.
It's a different beast then jnats, for instance don't expect to do nice cosmetic finishes with it, and is generally hard stones. I hear the stones in the 8k and 10k range work better then the 12k range, but I'm not talking from personal experience, I just have one in the 8k range.
Don't know how the numbers translate to jis scale, some follow different scales for the grain size, but it's definitely a fine finish
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By comparaison only, I guess. Does the Welsh slate you're referring to contain garnets?
LifeByA1000Cuts
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Given that glass hones are said to work, why shouldn't slate?
chinacats
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I had a green one and a purple one (Welsh stones) that I used for a bit on straight razors. If I recall, the purple may have been in the 8k range and the green maybe 10-12k. I liked the edge but they seemed to be somewhat 'grabby' on my razors. I liked the purple one more just because of the color of the stone/swarph. Never used either on a knife but they weren't full size stones. What are your thoughts so far?
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If garnets are the abrasive agent in Welsh slate as in Belgian Blue, expect a very smooth refined edge. Garnets are very hard but have an almost rounded form: that's why they're slow, but so effective in deburring abrading without creating a new burr.
Slate is an entirely different beast than coticules/BBW, no garnets. They glue BBW/coticules on slate, but that's about the only link. Slate is metamorphic, fine-grained and homogeneous. There are numerous historical "brands" in Europe.
They are pretty slow (although this varies, you want uniform consistency and a proper quartz content, which is what gives it the desired hardness), but generally give good edges. As mikael mentioned, the cosmetic finish isn't good, very scratchy. It's a fun, very cheap way to try out a natural.
They are pretty slow (although this varies, you want uniform consistency and a proper quartz content, which is what gives it the desired hardness), but generally give good edges. As mikael mentioned, the cosmetic finish isn't good, very scratchy. It's a fun, very cheap way to try out a natural.
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Thanks!
All that's left to say imo is try it, now you have it.
With lots of slurry is supposed to be faster and coarser then with just water, but some prefer to finish on just water.
And you can also try with oil, which is supposed to work nicely, but leaves the finest and smoothest finish, which you may not prefer.
Take this with a grain of salt as is just what I heard other people said when I researched, I like it with the oil.
Don't sweat what kind of oil you use, unless you intend to use it alot but preferably something that you would eat, and preferably something that don't go rancid as easily, I just use some linseed or camomile because I rarely use the stone. The major difference is supposedly the thickness of the oil, where some are more suited then other, that does not mean the alternative don't work just fine.
With lots of slurry is supposed to be faster and coarser then with just water, but some prefer to finish on just water.
And you can also try with oil, which is supposed to work nicely, but leaves the finest and smoothest finish, which you may not prefer.
Take this with a grain of salt as is just what I heard other people said when I researched, I like it with the oil.
Don't sweat what kind of oil you use, unless you intend to use it alot but preferably something that you would eat, and preferably something that don't go rancid as easily, I just use some linseed or camomile because I rarely use the stone. The major difference is supposedly the thickness of the oil, where some are more suited then other, that does not mean the alternative don't work just fine.
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Dirty old man here, but saliva offers a viscous medium that can easily be diluted with water, and rinsed away.
