Thread: Norton Stone question

I'm not sure if this post should go here or not, cause it's not about my razer sharpening stone.
I have a Norton 2 sided sharpening stone my dad gave me, it says on the side of it "India Combination Oilstone 1B8 (or IB8) by Norton" Dad used it for his knives, and I check it with a staight egde and it despratly needs to be lapped. All the stuff I read here about lapping a stone are for waterstones, I was wondering if anyone knew if I could use the same method for a Oilstone? this one in particular?
thanks, and sorry if this should go in "off topic"...."I'm new" is my new excuse :0)
Nick

Funny I used to use oil stones all the time when I was younger. I can't remember my stones getting flattened... Hard Arkansas (sp) stones and such.

I'd imagin it wouldn't be alot different but I couldn't say what materials to use...

Disclaimer: I have only honed a couple of knives in my life, so I really have no experience with knife hones (other than razor hones, which are also used for them, of course)

However, I'd think a DMT diamond hone, 320 or so would do the job very nicely.

If you don't want to buy one - I think Josh Earl offers this as a service, PM him

Cheers
Ivo

It would lap the same way.

That said, this is going to be hard work. Oil stones are very hard, because instead of a sharpening medium suspended in mud like a water stone they are a continuous block of the hard sharpening type of rock.

The fact that they rarely have to be lapped and virtually never wore out was one of the main selling points for oil stones over water stones. I would suggest starting with a sandpaper type lapping surface so you can change it as it becomes worn out (on this stone). If it is too badly dished I would toss it and get another.

Ok, sounds good, thanks!