Leveling the Block

I checked the dual-grit whetstone sitting on the bench corner. It had accumulated a crust of dried grey slurry along the coarse side. I walked over, planted my boots on the rough pine planking, and took a firm grip on a stiff horsehair paint brush resting in an old glass jar. Working in steady, circular passes, I scrubbed the grit loose from the oil troughs. Took five measured sweeps across the face. The dark porous surface cleared up clean and level again. I tapped the brush handle against the wood rim to shake the dust out, then laid it flat alongside the block. Proper shape for sharpening.