Thread: Maintaining Norton 4/8K stone and X strokes question

Just received my first Norton combo stone.
I lapped both sides with wet sandpaper on glass surface until they were flat and smooth.

I honed 3 razors on it.
I know a DMT plate is best for maintenance but cash is short right now and I need to remove the metal residue on both sides.

What's better :
a slurry stone like the ice bear
or should I lap again on wet sandpaper until surface is clean ( my concern is I'll wear out the stone faster this way)

Given the width of the stone I don't need to use X stroke.
If the stone is perfectly flat and even is there any benefit in X strokes at all?

Thanks for advice

The nortons are very good at maintaining flat but any hone will start to wear, thereby no longer be absolutely flat, as you run steel over it. If you do the x stroke that compensates for any low spots that a straight through stroke might cause loss of contact stone to steel.

I was fortunate in getting a diamond plate along with my nortons right from the start. I do refresh my hones as I go just to remove swarf. I guess if sandpaper is what you have that is what you'll have to use. I don't know about the ice bear slurry stone. Norton does make a rubbing stone for the 4/8 and it is advertised as being for refreshing the stone surface. So that ought to be good but I haven't tried it myself.

All the more reason to use the x stroke.

The norton rubbing stone is VERY abrasive. It removes material very fast. I have one and used it once to flatten, but not since as it consumes stone rapidly.

Sandpaper in the appropriate grit should work great. Use the finest paper you can that still gets the job done in short order. I'd guess 300-500 would be great.

Over time the DMT would cost less because one DMT will last a VERY long time and paper doesn't....but how often do you think you will hone?

Yes, the synthetic slurry stones will clean and smooth the Norton water stone, but it will not flatten. It is not long enough. Personally I believe smooth is more important than flat, though you should flatten periodically.

I use a DMT 325 D8 plate because it does all three at the same time. To slurry, clean and smooth some natural stones I use a DMT credit card 325 or 600 plate. On some naturals, Arks especially, a Carbordium, Silicon Carbide stone or India, Aluminum Oxide stone work well for cleaning, smoothing and flattening. Arks will eat a DMT.

Carbordiums and India’s can be purchased used, for a couple of bucks and new for as low as 6-10 dollars. They are also good for knife and razor restoration and serious correction. If you use them to lap, make sure to wash the stone well, dish soap and a green scouring pad to remove and imbedded or loose grit.

before you drag out the heavy artillery if it's just the metal particles try a scotchbrite pad. I find they work really good for that.

as per thebigspendur. Just use the rough green side of a kitchen sponge, it's worked for me so far. At some point you'll need to go back to a lapping plate or sandpaper but if you're only doing touch ups & minor work on 1 or 2 razors the Norton should last you nigh on forever & you shouldn't need to lap it after every use.

Originally Posted by vjanda

Given the width of the stone I don't need to use X stroke.
If the stone is perfectly flat and even is there any benefit in X strokes at all?

Thanks for advice

As a guy that makes money from honing, I should just keep my big mouth shut, and make the extra money for fixing the Frowns that WILL develop when you go straight up and down the hone..
But as a guy that loves the razors more then the money I am going to mention that going straight up and down the hones is a bad idea....

Remember a smiling razor is a happy razor don't make your razor unhappy with a frown