Thread: Introduction and question about grits

Welcome to SRP Andrew. Cool that you've already read material in the SRP library. In addition to the aforementioned articles by Lynn you'll also find articles about lapping (flattening) waterstones. This can be done with sandpaper on a piece of glass or tile, a flat surface, or with a DMT or Atoma diamond plate. Usually a 325 grit is used if it is a DMT or sandpaper. The Atoma is capable of flattening with a higher grit because of its design and construction.

I know that Lynn has said the Nortons benefit from a preliminary lapping of a few MMs of surface. Particularly the 4k. I've never felt them with my fingers to gauge grit so I don't know about the feel compared to the king 1k. I would advise flattening them, draw a pencil grid to gauge progress, and then try a kitchen knife on them to see how they feel. They were designed to sharpen plane blades and chisels so you won't hurt them. Finally, flatten them again and give the razor a go. At least that is what I would do.