norton question?

Hey guys. I am going to buy a norton4/8. I already have a coticule and a few barber hones that i have been using quite well. My question is should i spring for the kit that comes with the 1k 4/8k and the lapping plate. I need to be able to do it all from begining to end and i need the right tools to do it. If i were working on a bmw i would be trying to remove head bolts with a 3/8 drive ratchet so why not have the right tools for this. And also i have read that the 4/8 is not good to go out of the box and it must be lapped first before using. how true is that? if its a man made stone it must be flat.

I have the 220/1000 and the 4000/8000 nortons, and am very pleased with them. It does seem like a kit containing the 1k and 4k/8k stones would be a great set. I've never personally used the norton flattening stone, so I can't vouche for that. But the 1k, 4k, and 8k sides will get you through from the beginning to the end of honing a razor.

I typically set the bevel on the 1k, then sharpen on the 4k, then polish on the 8k. Since you mentioned you have barber hones and a coticule you could do some laps on one of those after the 8k (depending on the grit of the barber hones, but the coticule should be good after the 8k).

And yes you will need to flatten the norton stones even though they are new. I know they're man made, but I don't think they're produced perfectly flat, so you'll want to lap then prior to use. I'm sure the norton flattening stone will serve you well for the nortons, although I don't think it's good to use on other stones such as the barber hones and coticules. Hopefully other members will voice an opinion on that...

You sound like you're all set, and you cannot go wrong with the nortons. Happy honing!

Dave

The Norton flattening stone is alright but if you already have the 4/8 I would recommend a DMT D8C or D8F continuous diamond plate. You can lap anything with it and if you are doing ebay specials you can remove large chips, sharpen knives. It will last longer then you will. I got mine here. If you get one of these take a chisel or the shaft of a screw driver and give it a going over with a bit of water to break it in. Also give the edges a good going over to remove any divets. :gl:

All would be good to have, and if you get hooked, you will acquire them. BUT if you are on a budget or sane you can proceed more conservatively at this point. Unless you are buying frequently from Ebay or the antiques market needing new bevels, you could easily get by without a low grit stone. The 4000/8000 is a no brainer – good versatile choice. You can do some serious bevel setting if you have a heavy slurry and some time to kill. The 8000 side is definitely taking you to the shave ready range. Lapping can be done on sand paper, so you could nix the lapping plate. The coticule is good and fits right in. Add a inexpensive paddle strop pasted with Chromium Oxide and you will be good to go. Norton 4000/8000 can easily be had for $80, I don’t know how enticing the package prices are. Yes, the DMT’s are the best way to go for dual use stones but I am assuming you want to keep the dollar outflow down – at least for now. If you got the bucks you will not regret a DMT but you can live without it.

Since you already have a coticule and a few barberhones I would opt for the 4K/8K and a DMT C since all off your hones will requier lapping. It's possible to lapp the Norton with sandpaper, but IMHO it wll worth the money to get the DMT as it's more efficient.

So with an arsenal of the 4K/8K and the coticule you should be able to produce very shavebale edges IMHO.

Yes, the Norton needs to be lapped flat and the edges softened.
It can be done with sandpaper but then you do run the risk of having some grit from the sandpaper become embedded in the Norton. The DMT is the best way to go. I would go with a ~1000 grit.
The Norton lapping stone is approx 325 grit which is not the finish level you want on the Norton. You want a 1000 grit or finer finish on the hone. If I recall correctly it can become un-flat. The DMT does not.

Hope this helps,:)