Thread: 'feel' of the norton 8K

This is perhaps related to the 'norton roughtness' thread, but it's different enough to start another thread.

I have only started using the 8K a couple of days ago.
I lapped it on waterproof 600 grit 3M sandpaper.

When honing (light pressure) it sometimes feels as if something snags the blade.
I can't feel anything with my thumb, so I can see 3 possibilities:

1) that is embedded grit from the sandpaper
2) there are micro burrs along the edge that get snagged by the stone which is much softer than the 1K or 4K sides.
3) unlikely, but something is wrong with the stone.

So how is the 8K side supposed to feel?

It should feel very light and smooth, but perhaps a little gummy or with a slight even drag along the length of the blade. if you're getting a catching sensation then something is likely wrong. You should lap with medium coarse, very high grade, wet/dry automotive sandpaper or else lapping compound or a lapping plate. Then smooth off with ultra fine, very high grade, wet/dry automotive sandpaper, 1k or 1.5k.

X

Before you do anything else make very sure what your feeling isn't drag. Many times when I start off on the 8K the razor has kind of a grainy feel to it but after a few strips it stops and then I'll get a slight draggy kind of sensation for a bit.

Usually after I hone my 8K if I hold it up to the light and look straight along its length at a very shallow angle it appears shiny like it was polished. Thats how I know its ready for action.

If the blade is going smoothly down the hone, and then it feels like it snags for a fraction of a second and then moves smoothly again, it sounds like you have a small piece of sandpaper stuck in the hone.

If you have a flat piece of metal (like a key edge), gently run it down the hone to dislodge the sandpaper piece. Alternatively, you can do a progression on the sandpaper from coarse to more fine. I started on 600 grit and finished on 1200 grit sandpaper when preping my Norton.

E

When it catches, does it do it in exactly the same place on the hone, and does it do it every time or only sometimes? If so there may be a piece of grit embedded in the stone.

If it only happens sometimes then the hone may be hitting a rough patch on the blade, or the blade may be hitting a particularly suction-y patch of the hone. Or the hone could be catching on a wired part of the edge and tearing it off.

I had a similar problem with 600grit paper. Switching to 1500grit seemed to clean it up nicely.

Do a search in the hones forum for the words "Norton's shredding my edge."

I had a lot of problems with the 8K side of my first Norton; I got it replaced and now it's wonderful.

Josh

I don't have higher than 600 grit sandpaper, but wouldn't it be possible to use the 1K side of my other norton?

I will also try to use a nylon kitchen sponge to clear away lapping grit.
Hopefully that will solve the problem

Originally Posted by rustyblade

I had a similar problem with 600grit paper. Switching to 1500grit seemed to clean it up nicely.

I was beginning to wonder if you even had a keyboard.

X

Bruno,

Yes, using the 1K to lap the higher grits works very well. I've been doing that for a couple of weeks and I'm very pleased with the results--the 8K is reeeeealy smooth.

Even better, you could lap your 8K with your 4K.

I'm not sure that the lapping is doing much for the 1K, though. I'm thinking I'll still need to lap the 1K occasionally on coarser sandpaper.

Josh