Thread: Norton 4/8

Shavers,

Does anyone know a reliable and fairly priced supplier in the Benelux for a Norton 4k/8k stone?

Thanks in advance

Nope. I bought mine at woodcraft. As far as I know, noone is selling them here. And even if they were, they will likely be much more expensive than what you'd pay for it in the US, even if you include shipping cost.

That said, if you don't insist on Norton and want to buy in the benelux , Willy Vanhoutte - Slijpen en afwetten
Is a reputable seller. I've bought tropical hardwood there, and a colleague of mine has bought synthetic hones there. Excellent service.

Try Straight Razor Designs, order it online. That's where I got mine.

No. But the Naniwa Super Stones are good stones as well and can be bought at knivesandtools.nl
Competitive prices and good service !

Originally Posted by Bruno

Nope. I bought mine at woodcraft. As far as I know, noone is selling them here. And even if they were, they will likely be much more expensive than what you'd pay for it in the US, even if you include shipping cost.

That said, if you don't insist on Norton and want to buy in the benelux , Willy Vanhoutte - Slijpen en afwetten
Is a reputable seller. I've bought tropical hardwood there, and a colleague of mine has bought synthetic hones there. Excellent service.

Those Japanese hones really are cheap, compared to the ones on westcoastshaving etc!

Also a question: is 8K smooth enough, or is a 10+K polisher a necessity for good honing?

Originally Posted by Rogier

Those Japanese hones really are cheap, compared to the ones on westcoastshaving etc!

Also a question: is 8K smooth enough, or is a 10+K polisher a necessity for good honing?

I've never tried to shave off a 8k, but my guess would be you can shave off it, but it won't be terribly comfortable.

Originally Posted by decraew

I've never tried to shave off a 8k, but my guess would be you can shave off it, but it won't be terribly comfortable.

Isn't a coticule approx equal to a 8K?

They vary.

Thanks guys for all the heads up!

I decided with some advice to go with a Thuringian stone in combination with a high grit Arkansas oil stone. Together they will cost me about 85 euro, which is a good starter for just the touching up part.

For the ones interested, I did some research and sent out some emails to customer services of the European providers. But none of them are willing/able to provide a Norton for a reasonable price. So I guess you were right about ordering from the US is the most economical option if you insist on a Norton..

Originally Posted by decraew

I've never tried to shave off a 8k, but my guess would be you can shave off it, but it won't be terribly comfortable.

You can get GREAT shaves off an 8k edge......take a look at the JaNorton thread it was all done on the Norton 4/8 with great results