Thread: 8k synthetic options?

Marble tile here.

I really like Shapton kuromaku 8k, it's 8x3x1/2 or close may not be the best for hand honing being that thin. But as mentioned could be glued to a backer.
Price point is great, I like the feel better than the Norton. It's a hard splash and go hone.

Originally Posted by Robini

I attached mine to aluminum plates. Works great!!

Woofta, you weren't messing around with those aluminum blanks!

I am glad to hear that people have had good luck attaching their hones to stiff unforgiving backing such as marble and aluminium.

I have never had a problem but have read about hones cracking etc. from swelling and shrinking while getting wet and then drying.
Having a backing that does not expand and contract at the same rate would make the issue worse and that is why I think of that.

I am certainly not disagreeing with the results that have been posted here. I would do it in a heart beat after reading these posts!

Originally Posted by Christian1

Yea I had the Norton 4k/8k when I started and it is a really nice hone I just not a fan of the soaking is all. Thanks for the replies

I"ve kept my Norton 4/8 in a water well for years! No it doesn't disintegrate.

As per GSSIXGUN'S instructions I use about a cap full of Regular Chlorine Bleach to a gallon of Distilled Water and change the water about twice a year. Just grab, lap and hone. The same with my King 1200.

Change out if you want but to change out just because of 'Soaking'----

Originally Posted by Christian1

Hand honing for life! Also found someone sort of new to honing interested so would be making 2 happy campers. Although if they decide not to get the stones I might just glue the 3k and 8k together(maybe some other backing) so that they are almost normal size.

Gluing them together was what I was going to suggest, maybe with a plastic or Plexiglas spacer in between.

Originally Posted by ejmolitor37

I really like Shapton kuromaku 8k, it's 8x3x1/2 or close may not be the best for hand honing being that thin. But as mentioned could be glued to a backer.
Price point is great, I like the feel better than the Norton. It's a hard splash and go hone.

I've used the 1.5k and 5k kuromakus hand-held and found them interesting, brittle-feeling hones to use. At ~5/8" thick, I didn't find them difficult to use in the hand, although I always hone with on a completely flat, outstretched palm. Gripping the sides of a stone with the fingers of the off-hand, no matter how thick the stone may be, can risk to have a bad cut if a fingertip glides above the honing surface. (Been there, done that, and won't do that again!) 1/2" thick is still doable, but things do get tight in the 1/4"-3/8" thick range, even with an outstretched palm.

I am very partial to splash and go stones so my 4 and 8k are Shapton GS stones and I love them

M favoured 8K, without doubt, would be the Snow White I love it couldn't live without it.

Originally Posted by celticcrusader

M favoured 8K, without doubt, would be the Snow White I love it couldn't live without it.

Have you noticed any difference between the old snow whites and the new version?

Originally Posted by Butzy

Have you noticed any difference between the old snow whites and the new version?

Butzy, as long as it the one I'm showing in the photo then I'm sure you will be OK, don't buy one unless it's that particular one, It's a really hard stone that needs very little water and it never needs to be soaked.