Quick daft question

[Kaden101]

Looking at purchasing my first hone & obviously the Norton 4K/8K is a very respected piece of kit. Just wanted to double check before I plonked my money down. It's an investment as far as I'm concerned, I just want to make sure I get it right.

Classic Hand Tools Limited - Norton 8" x 3" Waterstones

Is the NCW-24336 priced at £71.44 the right one? It's the only place I've found in the UK to buy them new. I'd not trust myself to ebay for this.

Thanks a lot.

[Cangooner]

Looking at purchasing my first hone & obviously the Norton 4K/8K is a very respected piece of kit. Just wanted to double check before I plonked my money down. It's an investment as far as I'm concerned, I just want to make sure I get it right.

Classic Hand Tools Limited - Norton 8" x 3" Waterstones

Is the NCW-24336 priced at £71.44 the right one? It's the only place I've found in the UK to buy them new. I'd not trust myself to ebay for this.

Thanks a lot.

Yup, that's the one. I'd humbly suggest you might want to keep shopping around a bit as that price seems a little high for me. For example it now sells at Lee Valley here in Canada for $82.50 CDN which I think is about 50-55 UKP. Maybe they're just more expensive overseas, I honestly don't know.

But that is the one.

[ScottGoodman]

I would continue looking for a better price. Don't leave out the Naniwa Super Stones or Chosera or Shapton's out of your search.

[brooksie967]

+1 on the chosera

I'd think you'd want a 1k to do any bevel setting, then the 4/8 should be all you need to shave comfortably. I've personally never shaved off an 8k edge but the 'pros' all say that you can get a comfortable shave off of it.

[Kaden101]

I've looked at the Naniwa's, the single grit stones are more expensive in the UK than the Norton combi. The 10000 & 12000 Superstones are over £70 each, & the 8000 is £65-£70, prices obviously going down with the grit rating. Belgian Coticule is about £65. Belgian Blue Whetstones can be had cheaper but only for the small ones. I've looked all over the place for the Norton Combi & on Amazon it's £116,

Amazon.co.uk: norton waterstone

& I've seen it up to £137 online. I really haven't been able to find it any cheaper. I get the impression that hones are more expensive in this country than the US, but don't hold me to that. I was thinking the Norton purely because of it's workhorse reputation. I'm sure at some point in the future when money permits I'll probably want to get a nice finishing stone & a 1k bevel setter, but I've got £80 I received over Christmas & my birthday, so I thought I'd put it to good use on a good for all starter hone.

[Kaden101]

Thanks for the advice guys. I've ordered my Norton combi. The only place I'm going to find it cheaper is abroad, & the shipping costs will make that pointless.

[BobH]

Looks like you will be good to go for awhile with that Norton combi stone. It will give a chance to sock it away for a good finisher and a 1000 stone for bevel resetting. I am sure that once you get a taste of honing you will be hooked to see how good you can get the edge to. I can't be the only one that happened to.

Bob

[Kaden101]

Well, I received my Norton combi this morning. Very impressed as I only ordered it on the weekend with free delivery.

4,000 grit made in Italy, 8,000 grit made in USA.

What I find amusing is the Norton is one of the most respected waterstones for honing straight razors & yet nowhere on the back of the box is SR mentioned. Apparently, it's good for chisels, plane blades, gouges, knives, carving tools, axes, hatches, scissors & shears. Not a single mention of SR's on the back of the box. You'd think they'd want to advertise this, unless they think that it's not suitable for SR's in it's native form until it's lapped.

Lapping it is what I'm actually looking forward to doing next. Will have to pick up some 600grit wet & dry on my way home & try & find somewhere flat that isn't going to cause a mess the wife can get upset over.

[Birnando]

What I find amusing is the Norton is one of the most respected waterstones for honing straight razors & yet nowhere on the back of the box is SR mentioned. Apparently, it's good for chisels, plane blades, gouges, knives, carving tools, axes, hatches, scissors & shears. Not a single mention of SR's on the back of the box. You'd think they'd want to advertise this, unless they think that it's not suitable for SR's in it's native form until it's lapped.

I would think it is more about them not knowing that it actually does a fine job on a razor, and/or that the SR market is quite small...

[Kaden101]

You may well be right.