Thread: belgian stones or norton?

Given the number of variables in the honing process, you want to start with quality hones. A Norton 4k/8k is a good one to start with and at $62 won't break the bank and you've got a 4k stone and an 8k stone. A coticule bout is another choice which, at $55 is another choice but not as much surface area to work on as an 8x3.

thanks guys after watching lynns dvd i,m gonna get a norton combo for now, and who knows maybe santa could fetch me a belgian coticule around xmas time! and a bismark and a silver tip brush and some.............................................

Originally Posted by tonyspurs

thanks guys after watching lynns dvd i,m gonna get a norton combo for now, and who knows maybe santa could fetch me a belgian coticule around xmas time! and a bismark and a silver tip brush and some.............................................

Sounds like a good plan, but something tells me that Santa might be comming a little early this year

Originally Posted by heavydutysg135

Sounds like a good plan, but something tells me that Santa might be comming a little early this year

Yes, once you get the bug, Santa does come a lot in the year. As well as the Easter Bunny, hell even St. Paddy has brought me a 'gift'

Originally Posted by pilothaz

Yes, once you get the bug, Santa does come a lot in the year. As well as the Easter Bunny, hell even St. Paddy has brought me a 'gift'

Hey... I celebrated the first Monday of this week by getting some custom scales done for a pair of Wapienica's.

Originally Posted by BrianP

Hey... I celebrated the first Monday of this week by getting some custom scales done for a pair of Wapienica's.

I celebrated Monday with the purchase of a new silvertip Brush, and I bought another one that previous Friday

Now I am working on my celebration for going to England with a blade from JoshEarl, and getting scales done by Joe.

You can definitely get a shave ready blade from the Norton 4k/8k combo. I think why they [Norton 4/8] are popular with "honemiesters" is they save time setting a good bevel on a blade. You can do it with a variety of natural stones but in most cases it will take you a lot longer.
If you did the whole process with say a Belgian yellow, it would take a really long time, but in the end you'll have a well polished blade that would (we hope) provide you with a great shave.
Instead if you start out with the Norton and finish with the Belgian yellow, your yellow is going overwrite the striations cut into the blade by the Norton. In the end the blade will look/feel like it would have if you started off with a yellow, but you will have done it in much less time.