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

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.

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. Although the other stones are great and do the job the Norton 4/8K is one of the easiest and most consistent hones I have ever used and perfect for a newbie to learn on

I agree you carn't go wrong with the norton and later i added bbw/coti they are just perfect for final polish and maintain the edge for ever and some ch.5 oxide which is very cheap and gives extra glide and keeness/smoothness. Get the norton. yopu have 1200 that is for real bevel setting only.

In the grit ranges of 4000 and 8000 nothing IMHO is a better value and as mentioned above consistant. So while I have indeed added above and below that range with other stone, Nortons will always have their place in my system.
Mike

The Norton 4K/8K is great.

The Wiki has some good articles about using it:
What hone(s) do I need? - Straight Razor Place Wiki

I wonder why nobody wondered about him trying to get a razor
shave ready with only a king 1.2k and newspaper...

Read through the wiki, you will find everything what you need:
what hones do I need especially

You will finde there that the 4k/8k (you can still use your 1k for bevelsetting)
will be plenty enough to get your razor in good condition.
Some 0.5 chromium oxide or diamond paste will emprove things even more
Happy honing

You have gotten the best advises available. At first learn how to hone by using norton then you can buy escher, coticule. nakayama and unknown stones. GL

Originally Posted by hi_bud_gl

You have gotten the best advises available. At first learn how to hone by using norton then you can buy escher, coticule. nakayama and unknown stones. GL

That is what I did. I have quite a few hones and still use the Nortons a fair amount. I like them a lot. Only on razors though in my case so I don't know about kitchen knives.

They are made for tools like plane blades and chisels though so I don't see why they wouldn't be just fine for both razors and knives.

You'll have to lap them though and IME a DMT D8C continuous plate would be a good addition to your kit. That would also probably be usefull for the knives.

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.

Did you read the entire thread? The reviewer had a bad experience with a Norton (it happens) but the responses were overwhelmingly positive including the one that I think has the most credibility - from Lynn, who's probably honed more razors than I have whiskers. Anyhow, there are many options but the Norton 4/8 is a good one. I use one followed by a Chinese 12K and a pasted strop and am quite satisfied with the edges I can produce. I'm sure they could be keener but I'm not interested in seeing how far I can take it, just in getting a close, comfortable shave (plus I'm cheap - I've seen some beautiful stones I'd love to have but I won't pay the price). As to the kitchen knives, I've never put one on my Norton but I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work well on any kind of cutting tool.

Originally Posted by clrobert60

Did you read the entire thread? The reviewer had a bad experience with a Norton (it happens)

Do we miss something ?