Thread: Sawing a Hone

Originally Posted by StraightRazorDave

Not that you shouldn't cut them, it's just hard to undo once it's done.

Isn't that what duct tape is for?

AaronX and I split a full set of Nortons between us...

The 220/1k was rather easy, and the 4k/8k was rather a PITA...

I used 4 cheap @ss hacksaw blades wrecked all 4 and cut both hones free hand....
I put the ragged cut edges on a 80 grit belt on my bench sander and smoothed them all up, chamfered the edges, and then lapped them all on a DMT 325....

These do work great, to get warped smiling blades whipped into shape but honestly they don't do any better than a 3 inch....
I find myself rarely going to them...If I had to buy the stones to do this project I would not reccomend it, now if you are a luckey SOB like Aaron and get the set free that is a different story.....

I wasn't as lucky as Aaron. OTOH I did get a set from Tools For Working Wood here. At one time they had the 1,4 and 8k in 8x1 1/2 but now it appears they only have the 1 and the 4. I find them to be handy to use when I do use them.

I eventually got a set of single grit Nortons that are 8x3x1. I keep those at work if I want to hone when it is slow. Turn an 8x3x1 on its side and you've got a narrow hone without the hassle of cutting one up or buying one already cut.

I once cut one inch off the end of a cheap Chinese carborundum (medium/fine) hone as an experiment. I wanted to see if it would work better if I had a piece to use as a slurry stone. All I had was a slowly running hose, my body weight to hold the stone, a hack saw and about six blades. It only took me about 40 minutes to get through it.
In the end this hone did feel better when I used it on knives. But I have no intention of using this hone on my razors.

The natural stones I've cut (slate whetstone, Chinese 12k) do cut fairly easily with a hacksaw and a tile cutting blade.

But, a diamond wet saw cuts them like a dream. Just easy as pie as it it's cutting clean and square through butter. If you have access to a diamond wet saw anywhere, I'd take that option over freehand. It's loads of fun and the results are as good as you can get.

Chris L

Not long time ago I was cutting a piece of rock from N.Wales into a hone. I have used hack saw and running water. It was realy hard work, four blades and an hour later done. Yes it was realy rough cut.
Last weekend I had professional cutting one of my Charnleys. I was not happy with the results and neither was he.
Now I made decision that I will get my own saw or at least decent diamond blade fot a hacksaw.

I bought an inexpensive tile saw, with an diamond blade and have been very successful with cutting, even the hardest natural stones with it.

Mac

Are you guys using carbide grit hacksaw blades or bi-metal blades?

I've never used a carbide grit blade, but they are made for stone.

I am a handtool fanatic but the wetsaw is what I have used

Cutting a slurry stone for this pink coticule I used a carbide blade and it worked but it was slow going. The blade held up well and is still plenty usable for more work.

So far I have cut up Nortons, coticules and barber hones using a slow speed metal cutting bandsaw. That worked just fine.

Just my $.02,