Thread: New Norton4k/8k-what next?

Thank you everyone, especially you Lynn. I have only looked at the stone briefly since I got it and right now I' not at home, but I don"t recall that the 4k side was especially grainy feeling. I'll check again later and take another look at the WIKI, too. Thanks again-I'm learning so much from all of you guys.

I have the same stone, and I lapped mine with a Norton flattening stone, which I bought from SRD. Take the hone to the flattening stone, and use a figure 8 pattern of sanding. I pencilled a grid on the hone so I could tell when it was flat, but I will say that it took a lot of sanding to level it out! BTW, some of you have been mentioning the countries in which the Norton 4/8k were made. Mine says the 4000 grit made in Italy, 8000 grit made in USA. Good luck with your hone, definetely a great choice!

Originally Posted by Lynn

Actually, the biggest question mark on the Norton's has been on the 4K side. The 8K side did change colors from the original dark red to a tan color, but for the most part it has remained consistent with regard to feel and results. With the transition to Mexico, the 4K side developed a grainy feeling which after lapping from 1/16 to 1/8 off the stone would get back to the original feeling. This has remained pretty much the same and all you need to do is just enough lapping to get past that grainy feeling. I use the DMT 325 primarily for this although the GDLP works fine and a good sandpaper system will as well. Once you have that smooth feeling on the 4K side, you're good to go and the results have been the same reliable results as always. I am still wearing out a couple of the 4K sides of the combo yearly and feel this is still a very reliable stone

Have fun,

Lynn

I have some slip-stones and almost swear that the dark red one is the finest of the bunch. When I hone on it,with water, it feels silky smooth for the razor blade to glide across. I sort of do it like Maestro Livi in style. Irregardless, the white one I have is supposed to be a 4000 grit and then there is the cream (light tan) colored stone that actually leaves grayish water residue behind (fine metal in the water) like the 4000, but the dark red leaves no residue and has really no grab to it at all. Could the darker red be a higher grit then? Glen suggested scratching to tell, but I thought there may be some kind of definitive way to categorize them.

Originally Posted by Gibbs

I have some slip-stones and almost swear that the dark red one is the finest of the bunch. When I hone on it,with water, it feels silky smooth for the razor blade to glide across. I sort of do it like Maestro Livi in style. Irregardless, the white one I have is supposed to be a 4000 grit and then there is the cream (light tan) colored stone that actually leaves grayish water residue behind (fine metal in the water) like the 4000, but the dark red leaves no residue and has really no grab to it at all. Could the darker red be a higher grit then? Glen suggested scratching to tell, but I thought there may be some kind of definitive way to categorize them.

You lost me......are you talking about Norton stones? I'm missing something here.

Originally Posted by Firefighter2

I have the same stone, and I lapped mine with a Norton flattening stone, which I bought from SRD. Take the hone to the flattening stone, and use a figure 8 pattern of sanding. I pencilled a grid on the hone so I could tell when it was flat, but I will say that it took a lot of sanding to level it out! BTW, some of you have been mentioning the countries in which the Norton 4/8k were made. Mine says the 4000 grit made in Italy, 8000 grit made in USA. Good luck with your hone, definetely a great choice!

My experience is exactly the same as Firefighter's. Both the 4k and 8k sides of my new set (220/1000 Mexico, 4k Italy, 8k USA) felt kind of rough and gritty, so I lapped them down gently with the Norton flattening stone (which itself is quite rough), followed by my Smith's diamond knife hone, and both are now flat and smooth as silk. They worked great on my first two razors honed (total newbie here). I couldn't be more pleased, and now want to hone every razor I can get my paws on!

Now I'm thinking about a coticule...

Yea you definitely have to lap. I got my kit yesterday and lapped all four sides. When I put a grid on the 4K and lapped it the grid was gone in just a few swipes. I thought to myself "Hey.. less work" Then i went to my 8K side and then noticed a color change so I felt the difference and then thought to myself "I bet there is a coating on the 4K, and sure enough there was. You won't see a color change on the 4K "at least I didn't" but you will feel it.

Originally Posted by Bill S

You lost me......are you talking about Norton stones? I'm missing something here.

I am notentirely shure they are Norton slipstone. They are water stones, man made, 1 each, light tan, white, red-brown. The latter always feels the slickest when honing a razor on it. Is there a way to tell the grit of unmarked hones?

Originally Posted by Gibbs

. Is there a way to tell the grit of unmarked hones?

Yes compare to the stone which you know the grit.
if you have 8k norton hone on both stones and check the edges see the differences.
gl