Thread: Scratch pattern off Norton 8k seems too rough

I've noticed that my Norton 8k leaves visible scratches along the edge and spine and was wondering if this is normal or unexpected behavior. I can see the scratches with the naked eye by just moving the edge around in the light. The edge is still a mirror finish in the sense it reflects light and is shiny, but the scratches stand out. I typically go from the 8k to a Naniwa 12k but find it takes many strokes on the 12k to even begin to polish away the scratches left from the 8k. I lap the 8k with a DMT D8C, so don't think something like contamination would be the problem here.

Way too many stria to be caused by contaminated hone, so Im going to guess at simply not enough time spent removing the prior hones scratches. Like, lots of deeper 1k is left when you finish the 4k and you have moved to the 8k too soon.

Originally Posted by Magpie

Way too many stria to be caused by contaminated hone, so Im going to guess at simply not enough time spent removing the prior hones scratches. Like, lots of deeper 1k is left when you finish the 4k and you have moved to the 8k too soon.

+1 Thanks for saving me the typing!

If you recently lapped it, it may need burnished.

Don't own a Norton, just taking a poke in the dark

Originally Posted by outback

If you recently lapped it, it may need burnished.

Don't own a Norton, just taking a poke in the dark

Norton should not need burnished. Its a softer stone. Easy to embed debris in, but as I said, way to many scratches across the bevels length to be a random grit or 3

That was my original guess as well. However, I tested out the 8k itself on a cheap stainless steel knife I just bought which came pretty polished. Running the side of the knife lightly up and down the 8k stone seemed to give the same sort of scratch pattern as I was seeing on the razor (I don't know how valid this test is, but it makes sense to me)

Change your hone to edge angle and see if the scratch pattern changes to the new angle.

Originally Posted by 32t

Change your hone to edge angle and see if the scratch pattern changes to the new angle.

Tim’s got your answer right there ^^^. If the stria change direction drop to 325 or so diamond plate and take a bit off the 8k side. May be some contamination from the factory, that or return it for a new one.

I think id lap the hell out of it. Those are horrible stria for an 8k!

So I took the other side of my stainless knife and set it against the 8k and did maybe 20 strokes to create the scratches in the first picture. I then flipped the stone over to the 4k side and did another 20 strokes to get the second picture. Its seems like my 8k leaves a scratchier finish than my 4k, as if there are a couple pieces of grit sticking up which create the lines.