Thread: From 4K To Compound?

You're probably right randydance....but then again there's the fun of doing it.

Originally Posted by joebehar

...but then again there's the fun of doing it.

With that I agree 100%. Have a good time

Another point is that stones used for knives are probably not flat. You will have to do this, and that will take silicon carbide paper on glass or some other flat surface, or perhaps a cheap Harbor Freight diamond stone. There is info in the Wiki on how to do this.

skipnrod,

Japanese water stones definitely dish with use. I believe all stones do. it is imperative to make sure that stones are flat before using them and I do just that to keep my carving knives and chisels in prime cutting condition.

Bite the bullet, buy An 8K stone and enjoy, play with pastes later on in you honing career.
IMHO, that is.

And above all else, a BBS shave to boot!!

tinkersd of SRP

Originally Posted by joebehar

Wouldn't it be a simple matter of using the compounds on something like a paddle strop to avoid rounding the bevel?
I can see how you might round it using a hanging strop, but if the blade is flat on a paddle, much like a stone, why would there be any rounding?

Because there is a certain amount of give even in a paddle strop the thought is that that will eventually lead to a rounding of the bevel. Not necessarily a bad thing. Kind of like an old barber who always honed his same razors on the same coticule with the same stroke. Never flattened the dished stone but over time the razors and stone developed a relationship that worked for that barber.

I've never tried what you are proposing to do. I do know a fellow who gets great results going from a norton 1k, 4k, 8k to a series of flatbed hones of balsa coated with 1.0, 0.5, and 0.25 diamond paste. To me , for razors, the 8k is a default necessary item. Just IMHO. Let us know how you make out if you give it a try with the 4k followed by paste.

Originally Posted by skipnord

Another point is that stones used for knives are probably not flat. You will have to do this, and that will take silicon carbide paper on glass or some other flat surface, or perhaps a cheap Harbor Freight diamond stone. There is info in the Wiki on how to do this.

Be careful with those cheap Harbor Freight diamond stones, too. I bought a bargain diamond plate and am just lucky I checked it for flatness before using it on my hones. Flat it was not.

Originally Posted by roughkype

Be careful with those cheap Harbor Freight diamond stones, too. I bought a bargain diamond plate and am just lucky I checked it for flatness before using it on my hones. Flat it was not.

Yup, IMHO the HF diamond plates are best for working up a slurry or ripping off old steel.