Thread: NOrton 4k/8k with my Heinkel knives

I know this isn't exactly about honing razors, but I figured you guys might know.

I've been shaving for a few months now ith my dovo straight and absolutely love it! I just purchased a norton 4k/8k to hone it and was wondering if I could also use this to keep my kitchen knives sharp? I have a nice set of Henckels and it would be nice if I could use the same stone for both to save me from having to go out and buy another stone.

If this isn't a good idea, or if there is a better way, I'd love to hear your opinions.

Merry Christmas!

You can definitely use the norton on the Henckels knives, but you may find that you need to begin with a coarser grit.

As far as grit is concerned, many professional chefs and cooks are very sastisfied with the edge a 1000 grit stone leaves, but I and plenty others like to take the edge to the highest level of refinement as possible. I typically finish my kitchen knives on 0.5 micron chromium oxide and a leather bench strop.

The only problem is that softer steels, as found in some of the Henckels lineup, just doesn't take a highly refined edge and actually performs better when sharpening is finished on a lower grit hone.

I would suggest that you visit Knifeforums.com, in particular the "In the Kitchen" and "Keeping Sharp" subforums. Post which particular Henckels knives you have and the sharpening equipment that you have, then the guys there will steer you in the right direction.

If you would like a benchmark as to how sharp your knife can get, send you chef's knife to Dave Martell at Japaneseknifesharpening.com. His prices for German blades are reasonable, and when your knife comes back, you'll know just what your knives are capapble of.

Also read up at knifeforums on how to properly use a knife steel (honing rod) and why the grooved knife steels are actually detrimental to the edge.

If you look around, there are quite a few videos to be found there on how to sharpen kitchen cutlery with bench stones such as your Norton combo stone.

I've heard some great knife sharpening advice given here at straightrazorplace, but I've also heard some ridiculous advice given at SRP.

I'd stick to asking my knife advice at KnifeForums and my straight razor questions at SRP! It might seem like razor sharpening and knife sharpening are similar, but in reality they are very different beasts.

Thank you, Ben325e.

That's exactly the information I've been looking for. I appreciate the advice. I like the idea of having one of them professionally done to give me an idea, kinda like I did when I bought my first straight. I'll also check out the knife forums.

Thanks again!

No problem, Xiolo.

BTW, welcome to the forum, and we hope to hear more from you!

If you use the hone for both just be sure it is flat before trying to use a razor on it. Look in the Wiki for Hone lapping 101.