Thread: Any English people?

Got my Norton 4k/8k from these people:

Classic Hand Tools

I bought it a couple of years ago at a wood festival at Westonbirt Arboretum and it cost me around £45. They've either gone up a fair bit or that was a really special offer!

Gareth

Originally Posted by Galopede

Got my Norton 4k/8k from these people:

Classic Hand Tools

I bought it a couple of years ago at a wood festival at Westonbirt Arboretum and it cost me around £45. They've either gone up a fair bit or that was a really special offer!

Gareth

A 4K/8K from them is now £73 so you got a very good deal indeed.

Originally Posted by dannywonderful

A 4K/8K from them is now £73 so you got a very good deal indeed.

The Westonbirt Festival of the Tree is on every year over the August bank holiday weekend.

Classic Hand Tools have a large marquee there with various woodworking demos and loads of lovely tools!

They always have a load of Norton hones of various grits and sizes on special deals. Anyone looking for a hone that lives not too far from South Gloucestershire would find something there.

It's a good show too. The morris dancers there have a brilliant musician...

Gareth

Originally Posted by Galopede

Got my Norton 4k/8k from these people:

Classic Hand Tools

I bought it a couple of years ago at a wood festival at Westonbirt Arboretum and it cost me around £45. They've either gone up a fair bit or that was a really special offer!

Gareth

Thank you, that looks a good find. they accept cheques. yay.

I didnt know they did a 8/10k. I think 1/4 & 8/10 would be a very convenient set up.
no 12/16k tho.


I know the shaptons would cost a fortune. 200+ for the set, then whatever charges Id get hit with this side. so goin on £300
But then, oh god the convenience and 16k finishing stone *drools*

Anyone want to trade Chocolate Hobnobs for some shaptons?

Inigo Jones' Dragon's Tongue Hone- Im guessing that equvelent of 10-12k from reading that long thread on it. good value.

mm, 16k - if you don't have one, would you miss it?

Personally, I would be going to the biggest carboot around tomorrow. Look for natural stones, something that has a bit of colour to it, perhaps not a regular shape.

If you're lucky, you might walk away with a couple of really good stones.

Then, personally, I would get in touch with rob at Ardeness coticules and see if you can get a BBW/Coticule combo off him. For a long time, the coticule was regarded as a very proficient finishing stone - and I think it deserves that reputation.

If you want a higher level of refineness, ChrisL will sell you a pouch of CrOx for $5.

You will save your self a lot of money, and still have a very useful set of hones.

I haven't bought any hones yet as I'm still learning to actually shave with the things, although I have snagged a couple of 99p razors off eBay to practice with when I start learning to hone.

I had assumed from what I have read that I will need a Norton 4K/8K and some kind of finishing stone ( Dragon's Tongue? ) and that would do me unless I wanted to start restoring blades. Is this right? If I just want to maintain my razors I mean.

I've seen this CrOx in the classifieds, but I'm not entirely sure what you do with it. Do you mix it with something and paste it onto a canvas strop?

My first shave was with a razor sharpened on a 16k shapton.
then a strop with micron paste, then a strop.
which was very very very very sharp.

I own a 10k cuticle. I just dont think Im going to get the same level of sharp off it.

for convenience, I may stick with my 10k, get a 4/8k. and see what I can do after the 10k. for now, that`ll be my cheapest option I think.

I have the Norton 4/8k and an old barber's hone I use for finishing. Don't know what grit the fine side of the barber hone is but it's finer than the 8k. Does for me.

My problem is that I can still turn a reasonably sharp razor into a butter knife with a little work on my hones!

Stick to the cheap ebay specials until you get the hang of honing! If you haven't got one, then get a cheap old bruiser from the bay to practice on before you get tempted to try your decent razors when you get a hone!


Gareth

yes, most probably. If you already have a coticule, a BBW makes a lot of sense (or maybe I am biased!)

It is certainly possible to get very good edges of a coticule, and following it with some sort of paste is not a bad idea.

Check out a carboot, if you can find a charnley forest you won't worry about shamptons again!

Just out of curiocity, have you tried honing anything with just the coticule?

Originally Posted by dannywonderful

I haven't bought any hones yet as I'm still learning to actually shave with the things, although I have snagged a couple of 99p razors off eBay to practice with when I start learning to hone.

I had assumed from what I have read that I will need a Norton 4K/8K and some kind of finishing stone ( Dragon's Tongue? ) and that would do me unless I wanted to start restoring blades. Is this right? If I just want to maintain my razors I mean.

I've seen this CrOx in the classifieds, but I'm not entirely sure what you do with it. Do you mix it with something and paste it onto a canvas strop?

If the dragon tongues 10/12k then yes you can finish on that.
from experience, having a 4/8k will be usefull if you blunt your blade, so you can go back and reset the bevel. 1k may also be useful.

after your finishing stone, you could buy a double sided paddle strop, paste one side with micron paste, and keep one side clean to finish on.

Just my opinion. Im still a n00b myself.