Norton India stones?

[Chang]

How well do these Norton India stones work?

<a href="http://store.knifecenter.com/pgi-Product%20Spec?noib6,">http://store.knifecenter.com/pgi-Product%20Spec?noib6,</a>


How fine are they? Can they leave a mirror finish? I'm thinking of getting one to supplement my Razor's Edge system clamps. The ultra fine stone from Razor's Edge isn't fine enough for me.

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Chang and the Rebels of the East!
Southern Taiwan Will Rise Again!

 

[Chang]

Also wondering how they compare to Black Hard Arkansas stones. I've never used one of those either, so anyone want to tell me how close to a mirror finish those black hard arkansas stones will put on a knife?

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Chang and the Rebels of the East!
Southern Taiwan Will Rise Again!

 

[Jeff Clark]

India stones are between medium and fine grit. They create a very effective cutting edge, but they are not meant to create a polished edge. A black Arkansas stone would be extra/super fine. This would give a much more polished edge, but takes a long time. I sometimes use an India stone, I don't use Arkansas stones anymore. I mostly use diamond hones for initial work and finish with a ceramic hone.

I don't know what you mean by leaving a "mirror finish". If you just mean on the edge you would do much better with the Arkansas stone. Another approach is to get an 8000 grit Japanese water stone. You can create a fine edge and also polish the sides of single bevel knives like Moras.

I generally go no finer than extra fine ceramic rods then I use polishing compound on a razor strop to do the polishing. For my straight razor I use a 4000 grit Japanese water stone.

 

[Roger Blake]

These stones work but they are oil stones and they cut slower than waterstones. I use them in woodworking because I can get shapes that are otherwise hard to find.

For knives I prefir waterstones and diamond stones. Waterstones are fairly inexpensive will do just as good or better than Arkensaw and are cheaper too. Waterstones do dish out fast but sandpaper on a flat surface will straighten out.

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Roger Blake

 

[cerulean]

Hey, I have that exact same stone pictured in the linked page! The half medium and half fine stone is really great and I use it frequently.

Jeff Clark's response was right on the money though (as it always is in sharpening matters). The Norton fine India stone leaves a great working edge, but it's not quite a polished edge. The hard black Arkansas stone is much finer and creates a truely polished edge.

I personally like to sharpen on the fine India stone and then finish on a hard black Arkansas stone. Yeah, these stones use oil and there are less messy ways to do things, but oh well...

Some day I'd like to try one of those translucent Arkansas stones that are supposed to be supernaturally fine. Has anyone out there used one of these?

 

[johno]

I picked up a larger Norton India combination stone recently as I've been pleased with the small India stones that I've used for years. It's a nice looking stone, doesn't dish as quickly as silicon carbide, but it also doesn't cut as quickly as silicon carbide so I don't currently use it much. I did pick up some more half round India stones and will probably get a few more triangles. I'll pick up a coarse Norton diamond stone next, and in the meantime am happy using a system of three silicon carbide stones, soft Arkansas stones, and a charged leather hone. I rarely use a black Arkansas stone that I have.