Thread: is it smart to blunt the edge of Norton Water Hones?

I have rounded the edge of all my stones except my shapton stones.

I don't know why I haven't rounded the edges on my shaptons lol maybe its because of the size, I actually didn't even realize I hadn't round them until this thread lol

Originally Posted by Ryan82

No, what Disburden is referring to is lapping the Norton in general. If not lapped properly (removing the rough texture off the 4k side, as well as the 8) the hone can do more damage than good.

If you bought the Norton flattening stone you should be okay. Many guys use them for their Norton stones and swear by them. As for a "pre-lapped" hone, I have a tendency to doubt it, especially from Lee Valley. I'd recommend lapping again just to be sure.

Thanks, guys,

My hone came from an online vendor (the perfect edge) and it was clearly smoother and flatter than it would have been from the store. I bought the flattening stone because I made some gouges in it trying to sharpen the carving set.

If you bought your Nortons from Howard at TPE you should be good to go. It's been a while since I've been to his site, but IIRC he did offer a lapping service at one time, probably still does.

FWIW, 98% of vendors do not pre-lap hones (especially Lee Valley), so you usually have to do it yourself.

I chamfer or round the edges of all my stones so that if i accidentally raise or lower the blade it doesn't come in contact with the sharp edge. I am in the (ounce of prevention group).

Originally Posted by Atchbo

Hmmm... Does this mean that the flattening stone for Nortons is too coarse? I just picked up one from Lee Valley for my 4000/8000 (the $28 flattening stone with diagonal slats) but the grit is coarse and I am worried that it will leave the surface rough. I should add that when I bought the hone it came lapped flat and smooth.

Should I take it back?

Remember, the flattening stone will need to be flattened ventually with 400 grit sandpaper and something very flat like thick glass or a DMT lapping stone. Since you need to lap them, I would take it back and just get the DMT 325 right from the start since you can replace that flattening stone altogether. They are a bit pricey though. Also, Norton recommends lapping after every 400-600 passes. Make it less i you tend to add anything more than nominal pressure while honing. Good luck