Knives, stones, and straights...

:thinking: Me thinkist I need to get some stones dedicated to straights...

Tonight I did my usual run on the stones with my work knives. Touching up on the 4k norton than finnish on the 8k. When I was done I flattened (what I thought was flat :w ) and got the 2 DD's I got off Ebite. My DD Dwarf seems to have had the edge squared off at some time. I did the muray carter 3 finger test, it was like oiled glass. Super smooth edge, no grip what so ever. The DD Styledge had an edge that would at least grip a hair, but not well. So I fugure I'll do a few passes to get a feel for honeing these small buggers. I tell ya, after working an edge of a few 270mm gyutos a straight can be tricky :( My stone is a combi 3x8 4k-8k norton and after flattening and running a few passes I noticed that parts of the edges are not making contact. I am pretty sure these straights are not warped but not overly sure. So I ran the flatener over it again after a few squiggly lines where put on the stone with a pencil. Sure enough I still had a slight dish on both sides.

After this ordeal I think I'll pick up another stone and leave it for the straights, less headache...

Anyone useing a 6k king for a hone? It's my spare stone at the moment. It's frigging flat at least!!!

That's why a lot of folks use a big piece of plate glass or granite with sandpaper to flatten the stones; that way, you're absolutely sure that all points of the stone are in contact with it at all times.

Ya true, but mine always dish out in the center, bowl shapped dent in the middle of the stones... Frigging stones...

I'm trying to get to Hand America to order some goodies, frigging site will not load. I'm sure it's on my end as I tend to have this problem often. Just have to dig around and clear the site from my blocked stuff... no clue how sites end up there but they do...

I just bought a norton flattening stone from howad www.theperfectedge.com
That was the best 25$ I ever spent on anything related to razors.
You should only use those on nortons though. If you use them on small stones, the flattening stone will wear unevenly.

If you can afford it, buy a DMT diamond hone (~75$) from howard. They stay flat forever, and you can use them to flatten any type of waterstone, as well as use it to sharpen kitchen knives and the sort.

I have and use the norton flatener, works well enough. I'm getting a DMT to reprofile a yanagi that needs a bit of help. I just have to quit buying knives long enough to afford it :p

Considering that I'm returning to straight edge razors after a very lengthy absence one may want to disregard my suggestions, but to flatten something softer than what you lap against, wet or dry paper applied to plate glass (which is ground flat) via your favorite solvent, is a pretty good way to go. Better yet I think is a small granite surface plate from a dealer such as ENCO. I bought one for about 12 bucks and change (the shipping is more expensive than the stone) and it is warranted flat to .0001". And folks, that's flat enough for what we do.

Even if one is repetitively lapping stones, the surface plate will out last you, and yours, and theirs.:tu

Bruce