Thread: Hone Thickness - Naniwa and Norton

I'm not doing a vs. thread, but more of a comparison. I was on SRD and trying to visually compare the thickness of the stones. In this case, i'm looking at the Norton set, the Norton Individual stones as well as the Naniwa Set and the Naniwa individuals.

What i'm trying to find out is the following:
How thick are the stones? single,combo,etc
Are the Naniwa stones removable from the base like the Norton?
I've heard some say that one stone has a "crisper" finish than the other? what does this mean, and can someone elaborate?

Thank you all and have a great day

I have the Norton single grit @ 1" thick. The combo stones are about the same but only 1/2" of each grit. I like the single grit stones because you don't need to soak the 8k and if you have the inclination you can turn the stone on the side and hone a warped blade on the 1" surface.

The naniwa superstones are available at 15mm IIRC with no base. You have to order them from Germany or Japan last time I looked. Not sure how thick the ones are with the base.

Edit; I didn't remember correctly, the no base naniwa are 20mm

http://www.fine-tools.com/naniwa-stones.html

10mm or 20mm thicknesses are available on the base (for the superstones), at least that's what they were when I bought one a long time ago.

You have to do a lot of razor restoring to go through one, if you're just buying razors for personal use then all of them will last a long time.

Maybe Lynn can weigh in too he has honed way more razors then anyone with these hones,,,

My first set of Norton Combo stones had over 3500 razors on the 220/1-4/8 when I gave them away the 220 was practically new, the 1k and 4k were pretty beat up, the 8k was used but will probably last another 3500+ razors..

I have the Naniwa SS stones with the bases attached, they don't come off easily, there is a thread where somebody pulled them, but I have never even thought of doing it.. I want to say 15mm sounds about right for the starting thickness (Honestly I am not at home so I can't go check)... I can't see really any wear after 1500 + razors on them except for the 1k it is showing some wear...

Thanks for the thickness answers, much appreciated. How do the end results compare as far as naniwa and norton. Someone had mentioned to me that one was "crisper" than the other, which was smoother. Am I just unfamiliar with the terminology?

The naniwa 12k superstone has smaller particles than the norton 8k and from what I could tell on tools was a bit finer. It definitely put a much brighter polish on tools and had a smoother feel. I wouldn't be surprised if the norton 12k particles were have the size of the norton particles or less. Between the two, if I already had something in the prepolisher range, I'd get the naniwa, just my preference. If you do a good job with either and follow with chromium oxide, I doubt anyone could tell the difference between the two.

Personally I thought the edge off the naniwas was not sharper per say, but smoother than the nortons. If you are interested in the naniwas without the base check out Chef Knives To Go: Kitchen Knives, Chef Knives, Shun Knives, Global Knives, Wusthof Knives, Henckels Knives, that's where I got my naniwas from, and they were good to deal with. My only gripe (with norton) is that they don't go farther than their 8k. I am not knocking them, so don't get me wrong they are good stones from everything I have read. I just wish they would add on to their line of stones is all.

Forgot to mention if you use the site I gave above they have all the stones measurements (in mm's of course), and no the bases on the naniwas aren't meant to be removed they are epoxied onto the stone itself; just meant to keep you from buying a stone holder like you would with thicker stones...like the baseless naniwas Also, I wouldn't really go about prying the bases off the stones either; just a mental picture of the stone flying into the air and the base going the other direction with a loud crashing/crunching sound to follow

I think i'll go with the naniwas baseless and get the additional base. I like the idea of having double the thickness of stone.

Originally Posted by tiddle

If you are interested in the naniwas without the base check out Chef Knives To Go: Kitchen Knives, Chef Knives, Shun Knives, Global Knives, Wusthof Knives, Henckels Knives, that's where I got my naniwas from,

The OP was asking about naniwa Super Stones without the base. That site sells them with the base. The Choseras , also naniwa, seem to be the line you are referring to. Never had a base and far more expensive than the superstones. A totally different animal really .... I mean in sharpening characteristics.