Thread: Choosing A Hone

So I found a 1000/6000 grit stone on Amazon for $30. Is that good enough for my first hone to get my razors sharp, or should i splurge and buy the Norton 4k/8k? Thanks a lot!

The Norton is tried and true and familiar to many of the forum members. If you need advice on your honing you will do well to have a stone that members use and know well. I don't know about the other one.

+1 What Jimmy said! The Norton 4/8 is a good basic hone to learn with and is well known to almost all of the honers here amatuer and pro alike!

The Norton 4/8k are very good. Check out Sharpening Supplies - Sharpen Your Knives and Tools With The Right Supplies They had a special price for the 220k/1000k with the 4k/8k and the lapping stone for $129.00, I think. A petty good price for the set...

Originally Posted by zib

The Norton 4/8k are very good. Check out Sharpening Supplies - Sharpen Your Knives and Tools With The Right Supplies They had a special price for the 220k/1000k with the 4k/8k and the lapping stone for $129.00, I think. A petty good price for the set...

I think you meant 220/1000....which is here: Water Stone Kit

looks like a good deal to my rookie eye

The 1k should get you razors sharp if they are chipped eBay things that need work but 6k is a bit of a jump for the next progression. 4k is better as a next step which is then followed by 8K. I sometimes use a 6K between 4k & 8K but a simple honing progression would look like 1k,4k,8k,then a polishing stone of your choice.
If you're talking about maintaining an already sharp blade, a polishing stone is all you need.

I have used a DMT 325, a King 1000/6000, an MST thuringian and a translucent white arkansas for over 100 razors, not including razors I have sharpened for other people and for myself - I've had nothing but good results. Haven't even used a Norton - yet - but I have ordered a 220/1000. Undoutedly the 4000/8000 is good, going by what people say about it. A Merc is good for a first car too - I could only afford a Ford, though...

Regards,
Neil.

Neil, a review of your new Norton1k versus King 1k would be interesting. I don't own a Norton either & often wondered what's the diff.. All my synthetic waterstones are by King and considerably cheaper than Nortons up to 6K. Work fine for me too.
Don't know if worldwide prices are similar to ours downunder but at 8K tho, price is identical..

Honing is like so many other skills – the better you already are the more you can successfully deviate from the norm and still make things work. This said, 1000 is a bit coarse for actual honing, and would take a very long time to do any major chip removal or bevel setting. 6000 is a bit coarse for any final razor honing, you would be putting yourself at a disadvantage to start learning with that handicap, if 6000 is your final stone. I know I need to polish on something finer than the 8000 side of my Norton to get a real shave edge. Looking at Amazon, the stone in question is a 1000/6000 King waterstone. (King experienced folks with opinions urged to chime in here!) Search the archives here, you will find some opinions on King stones. General consensus I read is that they are OK but you will be much happier with the Norton 4000/8000.

Kahunamoose - I agree, but adding an MST to a King hardly breaks the bank and besides - the MST is a good addition to a 4000/8000 Norton too. Besides, the King is relatively quick - minor nibbles can be removed quite quickly. It is a bit coarse, agreed, but its forte is for bevel formation.

Regards,
Neil