Hello All,

Quick yes/no question here. I am new to the world of straight razors, and really want to teach myself how to hone properly. So I bought a cheapo Gold Dollar Hollow-ground razor to practice on, and I also bought a Norton 4k/8k waterstone. My question is: Is it necessary to flatten and/or lap the Norton when I unbox it? Or does it come pretty flat from the factory? My plan is to acquire a flattening stone as well, but I haven't ordered one yet. Any info would be greatly appreciated!

I would love to become proficient at honing (hoping to make it a new hobby of mine!), so hopefully I'm off to the right start!

Cheers,

John