Thread: How to Clean a Norton 4K

After honing several razors on my Norton 4K, the surface is covered with blackish material. I followed someone's advice and scrubbed it under running warm water using a Scotch Brite pad. It reduced the black to a grey color but did not restore it to its original white color. Any suggestions for getting rid of the remaining discolorations will be appreciated. Thanks.

Duke

Duke,

Did you use a green Scotch Brite pad? I tried the blue ones and they didn't do it...

I can pretty much get mine white with the green pads. But if that doesn't work, get your sandpaper out and do a quick lapping session. If your hone is that black, chances are it could use some lapping anyway. I'd recommend 400 grit if you haven't lapped it yet, followed by 800 or 1000 grit.

Josh

I lap mine. By the time they get like that they need it anyway.

Thanks guys. I didn't think about using sand paper, but should have. First, however, I'm going to try using a green Scotch Brite pad as Josh suggests. If that doesn't do the job then I'll re-lap it, although I didn't hone that many razors to really need a lapping. I appreciate the suggestions.

Duke

I'm glad you posted this, as I was going to ask the same question. To add to the problem, I think my 'black stuff' may be the electrical tape that I am using to cover the spines while honing. Is that likely? Does anyone know if it's metal buildup, the tape or a combination of both?

Side Note: the Taylor that you sharpened for me is scary sharp Josh. Very nice work, and I am humbled when I try it myself. I'll keep on keeping on though.

thx - John

It's very important to keep your stones clean. Porous stones like the Norton can "load" with "swarf" and become steadily less useful over time. I restore several stones every week (all types) and I recommend a spray you can get at the supermarket or at Wal-Mart called "Easy-Off Fume Free". It's usually used to clean the grease and dirt from a dirty oven. You can also get it not Fume-Free but it's a harsh smell to have in the house. It's a blue can. It gets into the pores, dissolves whatever is in there, and bubbles it up to the surface. I usually let it work for a few minutes then brush with a plastic dish brush, rinse, and repeat. I've had vintage stones with decades of oil, dirt, and yuck come clean and reveal their true inner nature. BTW, the belgian stones are not porous and don't load so when I get a vintage one I clean with Easy-Off and then lap flat (they're almost always dished) with a DMT Coarse Continuous Diamond stone in 8"x3".

Howard

Usually it is the metal build up. I use the Norton flattening stone to clean and lap mine at the same time. It really makes the job easy.

Lynn

Originally Posted by Namdnas

I'm glad you posted this, as I was going to ask the same question. To add to the problem, I think my 'black stuff' may be the electrical tape that I am using to cover the spines while honing. Is that likely? Does anyone know if it's metal buildup, the tape or a combination of both?

I've never seen buildup from the electrical tape. That tends to come off in little black balls that float on the top of the puddle.

I usually notice more buildup when I use tape, which I always do these days. Especially if you're using some pressure it does tend to build up on the edge of the stone.

Either way, it doesn't really matter. Lapping the stone regularly is good for it, and it'll take you a long time to "use up" your 4K. Lynn said recently that he's "only" gone through 5 1/2 Nortons, and he's sharpened over 7,000 razors. That's an average of more than 1,000 per stone, and I'm sure some of these were real dogs. You aren't in danger of ruining your stone anytime soon by doing regular maintenance.

John, thanks for the feedback. Every razor is a unique challenge, and I'm always a little nervous when I send one off. (My most recent project took me about five or six hours of honing to remove a bad frown and restore the bevel.) Your final razor is next up on my project list, so you'll be hearing from me soon.

Josh

Originally Posted by Namdnas

I'm glad you posted this, as I was going to ask the same question. To add to the problem, I think my 'black stuff' may be the electrical tape that I am using to cover the spines while honing. Is that likely? Does anyone know if it's metal buildup, the tape or a combination of both?

Side Note: the Taylor that you sharpened for me is scary sharp Josh. Very nice work, and I am humbled when I try it myself. I'll keep on keeping on though.

thx - John

I lap mine on a 1000 grit frequently. It makes a world of difference in honing.