Thread: Norton 1/4 & 4/8 first impressions.

As I was saying a few threads ago, I got two Nortons. They ended up arriving yesterday.

First thought as soon as I opened the box: The surface is too rough. "Now I understand why the straight razor forum guys advice on lapping them even before the first use" I thought. Lapped them and realized that the surface was not very even. The 1000 grit and the two 4000 grit surfaces gave up quite easily, but the 8000 grit one still has two corners that are rough (haven't been touched by the lapping surface), even after 20 minutes lapping, rinsing, lapping... and so on.

Don't know if I am lapping the wrong way (I am using just the two stones I've got, alternating surfaces, and a 5B pencil to mark the unused surface). I might try sandpaper on a glass or wood, or something even more aggressive on it later.

They are prone to breaking. I accidentally crashed the 8000 one to the edge of the blue plastic box cover (I used the stones inside the box they come in). Though this plastic is soft and flexible, a tiny bit of the 8000 edge immediately broke.

On the nice side: They are very wide. I am used to stones that are just slightly over half of the Nortons. I guess that I don't have any "pool" to soak them. Presentation (the blue plastic box I mentioned above) is nice and useful as well (as of now I keep my stones in newspaper sheets). They form a slurry almost immediately.

I know I should have went for a 220/1000 & 4000/8000 set, but just got what was available here.

Rgds.

Martin

Wet/dry sandpaper on a flat surface, or a diamond plate, will get your hones flat. Rubbing two non-flat surfaces together may make them worse rather than flat.

What he said. Put the paper on glass and go to town. Even if you get the Norton lapping stone you have to lap that first. Flat surface is a must and I would use a 320 sand paper for all the sides. If your going to be doing a lot of honing you may wish you had a DMT lapping plate. If not leave the paper mounted on the glass for periodic laps on the stones. If you soak them for about 15 minutes or more your good to go, you don't have to keep them underwater all the time. I do so I can grab them and go. The soak just helps keep it from soaking up so much water while your honing.

Why can't Norton sell hones that are flat? I can understand heavy use wearing them down. But I can't understand how Norton can sell such a flawed tool. Just me.

Originally Posted by Davidcordes

Why can't Norton sell hones that are flat? I can understand heavy use wearing them down. But I can't understand how Norton can sell such a flawed tool. Just me.

You surely don't think only Norton stones come warped ?

My Swaty is flat.

My Naniwas weren't flat.

Bob

I CKed one of my swaty stones on a DMC 325 plate and according to the lapping plate the swaty was a little off. I guess because it was smaller than my other stones it really didn't make any difference.

No new stone I ever bought was flat .

Start with 120 grit Drywall Sanding Screen to get flat, on the floor on a piece of marble or granite tile in a cookie sheet, then progress to 220 and 320 wet and dry, once flat. Use your body weight and lots of water.

The 220 and 320 will lap off any grit that come off the 120 screen.

Should only take a few minutes, you are just not using low enough grit, or as said a 320 ish diamond plate.

Chef’s Knives to Go, has a real nice 140 grit 8X3 plate for 30 bucks that will make quick work of lapping to flat.