Thread: Seriously confused on the Norton 4k/8k

Originally Posted by hi_bud_gl

Do we miss something ?

Sham, in the original post there is a link to an old review where a fellow didn't like the Norton.

Originally Posted by newbiehippie

Hey guys,

http://straightrazorpalace.com/hone-...aterstone.html

This feels like beating a dead horse, but I am totally confused after reading through the review on the 4k/8k . I was seconds away from just ordering a stone, but am wondering about other options now.

I've been shaving for a couple months, have 2 razors that I've tried to get Shave-Ready using a King 1200 stone and stropping on newspaper. Is the Norton a good option if I'm also sharpening 10-inch kitchen knives?
--Barber hones and coticules seem too small to handle the serious steel.

Since you have some good feedback on the Norton 4/8, and I would also just tell you to get one, I'll speak to kitchen knives.

Honestly taking a kitchen knife to 4000 grit is probably overkill and 8000 way overkill, unless they are really hard Japanese steel. I use a 3 stone set when sharpening my carbon steel kitchen knives (whustof) and my pocket/utility knives (various). It is a simple Smith Tri-hone from the hardware store, the three sides are Amluminum Oxide (around 220 best guess) for removing serious nicks in the knife blades, Medium Arkansas (about 600 grit) and Hard white Arkansas (about 1200 grit) these stones get all of my knives extremely sharp, in fact sharp enough to earn comments from people, some of whom really know and appreciate sharp steel. A huge advantage of using oil stones for knives is that they don't dish out anywhere near as fast as a waterstone will making lapping an occasional chore rather than the constant struggle you would have when using the norton with curved blades.

I know everyone complains about how slow these stones are, but that with razors. You will find few decent knives that are as hard (and brittle) as most razors. On these the Arkansas works pretty quickly.

OMFG that review is still on the forum ????????

How to say this nicely hehehe

You know the expression "take it with a grain of salt" ???? from that guy just back up a truck load...

Anyway as you have already read, yeah the N 4/8 is a great stone...

But what's the story with lapping? There was a lot of talk on the review about lapping issues...do you need to own a lapping stone with it? As for over-honing a kitchen knife, I'm looking for something to clean up the scratches left from the 1200 grit.

sandpaper is fine.

i think that thread needs to go into the graveyard. it's clearly only serves to confuse and nothing else.
that's one problem with forums where every jerk feels they need to post complete BS only to draw attention to themselves without any regard of the harm they are doing....

yes i think that thread needs to go!

Originally Posted by JMS

Over the last 15 0r so years that I have maintained straights I have used eschers, king stones, coticules, barber hones etc, etc, etc. I have only in the last 2 months started using a Norton 4/8k and I wish I had found that stone first.

See, so much good stuff outside of the 'conversation'.... It's not like this hone has been kept a deep secret either - it has been the default recommendation for as long as I've been on this forum...

Originally Posted by gugi

See, so much good stuff outside of the 'conversation'.... It's not like this hone has been kept a deep secret either - it has been the default recommendation for as long as I've been on this forum...

Yes, but if you already know how to put an edge on a straight without the 4/8 K you would be hard pressed to spend the money for one of these if you don't need to! Now, if you had brought your 4/8k to my house when I first joined the forums I might have bought one then, but you didn't did you? A fat lot of help you were!

That's what you get for showing me how to use mine...

Another great example of the importance of "peer review" when evaluating anything. The reviewer had no idea what he was talking about. My favorite part is using the Nagura slurry on the Norton.

This would be like buying a hybrid car and saying it doesn't run well on diesel.

I believe the Wiki has better information.

I would atleast feel compelled to read reviews from people who know how to hone. Sometimes men have to stand up and say "you know what? If I can't hone it might not be the stone that is at fault"

Originally Posted by newbiehippie

But what's the story with lapping? There was a lot of talk on the review about lapping issues...do you need to own a lapping stone with it? As for over-honing a kitchen knife, I'm looking for something to clean up the scratches left from the 1200 grit.

Scratches from 1200 grit? hopefully not microscopic. If you sharpened a kitchen knife to 8000 grit it wouldn't be "overhoning" per se it would be overkill, giving the knife a finer edge than needed or recommended for its job. A 1200 git edge will cleanly slice a tomato and slide though meat like butter going higher just gets you a finer and finer edge that can be more easily damaged.