Norton

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MagenDavid

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I'm feeling the need for a good benchstone or two. I have the smaller Dia-fold stones from DMT, and they certainly work quite well. But the larger benchstone size is a bit expensive for me.
I remember Wayne Goddard recommending Norton stones. Does anyone have any experience with their India stones? Would something else be better for a more modest price than DMT stones?
 
Depending on your budget of course will determine your options, but here is a good place to find Norton and other good bench stones.
 
I have a Norton India Combo stone and really like it. Get at least the 2" x 8", if not the 11 1/2" x 2 1/2". Hard to beat these stones for the price. :thumbup:
 
Do you use honing oil for that? I know WD-40 is a bad idea, but I thought I remembered reading kerosene works well. What's best for the India stone?
 
IIRC, Wayne Goddard recomended un-diluted Simple Green for use on India Stones. I think it was in one of his columns in Blade magazine.

Bruceter
 
Most of the oils they sell including Nortons is light mineral oil, I think.
 
I use mine "dry". I say "dry" because the Combo stones come pre-oiled. I just use the stone as it is - no extra oil or water. I scrub it with warm water and BarKeepers Friend to clean it up when it starts building up.
 
All stones dish eventually. Back when I used oil stones a lot it seemed like they broke down the most when they were full of old oil and then used without additional oil.

Oil stones dish less than waterstones.
 
Norton's India will dish less than the SiC stones . They are slow to dish, years . They're a good economical stone (320 grit). I use nothing on mine . DM
 
I often use a Norton India Combo stone. I use thread tapping lubricant on it. I don't think you will find a better cheaper alternative.
Mine has lasted a long time without dishing.
 
Excellent stones at a reasonable price. The combo stones work very well. My old Coarse/Fine India stone would give a hair whittling edge. I remember sitting in the floor watching TV, stone in one hand and kitchen knife block on the other side. Through 2 episodes of Sponge Bob (kids choice) I had the whole block sharp enough to catch hair on the back of my head. I think there were 9 or 10 knives total. I didn't use oil or water on mine when I had it.
 
Me2, Thats funny . I get the same results only without Sponge Bob, proof I'm probably doing something wrong . DM ;)
 
Here is a photo i took of Mr. Goddard during a sharpening seminar at the Blade show in Atlanta.

tn_HPIM0363.jpg


He recommended using Simple Green for cleaning stones but didn't use any lubricant for sharpening. He took a blade from dull to shaving the ink off a piece of newsprint using a Norton combination stone and a small strop loaded with chromium oxcide compound. I've participated in a few toothy versus polished forum discussions and each one has their advocates and detractors. Mike Stewart of BRKT made it clear to me on one occasion that he is a fan of polished edges. Here is Wayne's theory which he posted on another forum.

" Do this experiment.
The Fine India is perfect for a finish stone because it leaves the knife sharp enough to shave hair yet has micro teeth for making slicing cuts. Sharpen your favorite hunting knife with a fine India stone by Norton or whatever you have that’s close to 320 grit. Don’t strop it or buff the edge, just take the wire off with the stone. Cut the leg off of an old pair of jeans. Put one end in a vise and twist it up tight and then cut it off within an inch or so of the vise jaws. You’ll feel the slicing action of the micro teeth as you make the slicing cut. Next polish the edge by using an ultra fine stone, then stropping, buffing or whatever method you use. Go back to the vise, twist the denim again and make another cut and report back. "

America being the wonderful country that it is we are free to make our own choice in edge finishing.The best way to finish an edge is to finish it the way you like it.

Johnny
 
I started using a 11.5 by 2.50 inch Norton India Combo Stone after reading some articles in Blade magazine by Wayne Goddard in the late eighties and how he used Norton India Combo Stones. My sharpening skills picked up from there. Also, learned about the burr and putting micro bevels on an edge. I have used my Norton India Combo stone for about 20 years and it has not diished out. I also used Kerosene per Mr. Goddard and WD40 when I had no Kerosene. I will try the Simple Green as I read that somewhere it worked very well. Thanks for posting that tip. I have been able to sharpen just about any knife with my Norton stone.

RKH
 
Bladeymae, Thanks for posting the photo and story . I've done that test per Mr. Goddard's instructions and found the polished edge won't cut the denim very easily .
RKH, I too have used Norton India stones for the last 30yrs. and have not seen one dish .
I have noticed the Norton India stones dished at meat markets where several butchers use them daily and their 20-25yrs. old . I doubt my stones will see that much use in my life time . To dish it requires something like sharpening 3-4 knives per day for 20yrs.. Even then you can always flatten it back and keep using it another 20 yrs..DM
 
My stones didn't dish per say, but they did get rounded and dipped corners at the points where I started my sharpening strokes. It took years to become a problem, and I flattened it again. I did a lot of heavy rebevelling with that stone, cutting my knives down to fit the 20 degree slots on my Sharpmaker.
 
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