Thread: Norton Oil stones (non-razor related)

I just tried a Norton India combination hone (coarse/fine) with honing oil on some chef knives. Using the Norton along with a Arkansas Translucent and a CrOx paddle I'm getting the best free hand edges I've ever gotten. I wish I had tried the Norton India sooner, it was in my hone "pile" from a lot I bought several years ago.

Originally Posted by rodb

I just tried a Norton India combination hone (coarse/fine) with honing oil on some chef knives. Using the Norton along with a Arkansas Translucent and a CrOx paddle I'm getting the best free hand edges I've ever gotten. I wish I had tried the Norton India sooner, it was in my hone "pile" from a lot I bought several years ago.

I have in my possession not one but two Norton Multi Oil Stone Systems.

One is my son's and it's an oldie as the base is cast iron and the cover is stamped steel. It was a gift from my good friend Ski.

Mine isn't as old as it's the plastic base and cover.



My son's only has one usable stone and it's the India 'fine' (the others are cracked in the middle). Mine is fully functional.

I'm giving mine to my son and I'm rebuilding his. Norton now offers an Arkansas 'Black' ($$$$$$$$'s) as a finisher. I'm very tempted to add it and only use the Medium and the India 'fine' as I have DMT's to handle anything that needs more work.

I learned how to sharpen knives from a man who started as an apprentice meat cutter at the age of 15 in 1934. He swore by three things about knives;

The Norton Multi Oil Stone set up

Henckels knives

F. Dick Steels

He said None Were Better!

The India coarse set a bevel on an old clever in about 10 mins, that stone is super coarse and super fast!!

I have several India's & just picked up a vintage 8" Fine India,,, waiting to set my next bevel on her.

I have used the fine coarse crystolon, have always wanted the India for setting bevels.. Just never got around to it. I'm glad you enjoy yours!!

I like the Crystolons over the india, they are faster, but leave a deeper scratch pattern. I always finish my kirchen knives on a hard Arkansas or any 1k waterstone.

Big big fan of the synthetic oilstones. Anything coarser than a fine india can leave stray scratches above the bevel on a razor, though - not a problem to me, but cosmetic.

I love the norton tri hone for tools and knives, just for tools I'm not a big fan of having a translucent as the third stone because the mineral oil that should be used in a tri hone is too thick for any flat tools on a translucent. Still great for knives, though, thick oil or not.

I traded a norton trans off of mine for a dan's hard, which is not their finest stone and is slightly less fine, not it works well for tools and knives.

I like the medium crystolon, too, as long as the stone is new (they get hard when they get old, and lose their friability).

Be sure to radius the edges on those new fine india stones. They are unforgiving to your bevels!