Thread: Norton water honing stones

I just received two norton two sided water stones I ordered, the 280-1000 grit, for restorations when I get to that point and the 4000-8000 for regular honing. I have also ordered a Naniwa 12000 grit super stone for finishing. I also received the norton flatening stone.

Are there any other grit types I should plan on getting or are these sufficient and are these good non natural stones?

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated

Those should be fine. Make sure they're flat and you shouldn't need anything more unless just personal preference.

Flatten them with wd sandpaper on plate glass or a lapped tile.

Cheers, Steve

It is a sound starting point for sure. I very rarely drop below 1K. I do have 280, but it is primarily reserved for chipped chisels.

Unforunately you will need to keep the flattening stone flat. A diamond plate is a better option there.

Some 320 grit paper on a flat plate will be your starting point to lap the lapper. Draw graph lines on it and some water and run it back and forth until the lines are gone. May have to do this twice to check. Then your ready to do the rest of the stones. You should hone to the 8k and shave off that for awhile to get your skills down pat. It all starts at the bevel set and the 8k is a finisher. 12k does the polishing and refining of all your real work. I shaved off the 8k for a year before I even splurged for the 12 and I found the 12k made the edge feel real sharp and sort of harsh. I then bought a Zulu Grey and now live in Nirvana :<0).

You will find your own way as everybody does but you have more than enough to learn on now. You have to remember that you also have to learn to feel the difference the higher grit stone make. In other words you have to complete your training on using a straight in the first place to be able to tell the difference. Good luck , it sounds like your being smart about it so far.

Originally Posted by 10Pups

Some 320 grit paper on a flat plate will be your starting point to lap the lapper. Draw graph lines on it and some water and run it back and forth until the lines are gone. May have to do this twice to check. Then your ready to do the rest of the stones. You should hone to the 8k and shave off that for awhile to get your skills down pat. It all starts at the bevel set and the 8k is a finisher. 12k does the polishing and refining of all your real work. I shaved off the 8k for a year before I even splurged for the 12 and I found the 12k made the edge feel real sharp and sort of harsh. I then bought a Zulu Grey and now live in Nirvana :<0).

You will find your own way as everybody does but you have more than enough to learn on now. You have to remember that you also have to learn to feel the difference the higher grit stone make. In other words you have to complete your training on using a straight in the first place to be able to tell the difference. Good luck , it sounds like your being smart about it so far.

Thanks for all the great info

The Norton is a 220, not 280, is pretty much useless for razors.

The Norton lapping hone itself needs to be kept flat, so you need to lap it with wet/dry sandpaper on a flat surface such as a counter top.

What you already have now is sufficient for quality shaving for the rest of your life. You CAN, get more--a LOT more, but what you have is all you need for good quality shaves.

You have the exact same setup I have. The 220 grit, as stated above, is useless for razors; the 1000 is marginally useful. Get a DMT 320 for lapping and you will be set.