Thread: Newbie ready to go!

Hello all! I got my 4k/8k stones in the mail today, and I sat down for some quality time with my Dovo Astrale. I soaked the stones in the sink for 15 minutes, then went to work on the 4k side. I had previously done 20 minutes worth of passes on my dad's knife hone. I know my razor is dull and uneven, but curiosity got the better of me and I wanted a try at the norton.

I'm going to lap the norton tomorrow with some 400/1000 grit sandpaper, then tape the edge and do some circles on the 1000 grit to get a better base upon which to sharpen.

I was curious about the honing pattern though. My norton is wide enough to accomodate the full width of my blade. Is it still wise to use the X pattern? It seems like honing back and forth without moving laterally would prevent wearing away the middle of the blade.

Is it alright to place my finger on the middle of the heel when honing? Keeping light pressure on the shank, I felt like the heel was getting more pressure than the point. With my pointer finger on the middle of the spine, the pass felt more even and without any rocking motion.

I'll get one of those radioshack microscopes tomorrow and see what the status of my blade's edge is. Thanks everyone!

Welcome aboard,
If you've already given the blade 20min of rough lovin' I wouldn't do any circular honing on the 1k. I might just do like 10 x-pattern passes to even out the bevel.
There are proponents of both systems (heel leading straight across and x-pattern) but I believe that x gives me more control.
I hone 1-handed and that gives me more control as well. I won't tell you it's the only way that works but it's the only way I'd personally recommend.
Enjoy the experience!

P.S. You may want to indicate your location in the user CP and your name in the signature (just a suggestion, not a compulsion)

Thank you Ilija, I appreciate the fast reply! I thought of another question in the interim: what steps are required to dry out the hone? I'm standing it on its side in the bathroom to air dry, but I'm not sure what will happen with regard to mold.

I just leave it on a dish drying rack overnight and then I keep it on a dry rag until I need to hone with it again. IE, no special steps need to be taken.

Some people leave it in a pitcher with a lid inside of purified water so it's always ready to go. Don't forget to flatten the stone before any major honing though.

I believe they also pour a little bleach in there (really low doses) to prevent mold from forming, but those are usually the ones who hone often and want to have their Norton ready on short notice.

Hi, I'm new to these forums so please be patient with me.

I am wondering about flattening, or 'lapping' the stones. I have looked, but cannot find any information regarding this subject.
I have 2 brand new japanese waterstones (King brand), 4,000 & 8,000 grit and am wondering about the steps needed to make these stones 'hone ready'. I am also looking for basic information on the honing process itself.

Any advice in these areas would be appreciated.

Thanking you in advance

Martin
(currently living in Greece)