Norton 24336 Japanese-Style Combination Waterstone 4000/8000 Grit, 8-Inch by 3-Inch by 1-Inch

By Norton Abrasives - St. Gobain

Product Features

• Waterstone to create abrasive slurry for effective sharpening with less pressure than an oilstone requires
• Combination stone has 4000 grit on one face for maintaining and refining and 8000 grit on the opposite face for polishing steel cutting edges
• 1 x 8 x 3 inch (H x W x D) size is suitable for use as a bench stone for knives and tools
• Cleans up easily with water as lubricant instead of oil
• Blue plastic hinged box with no-slip rubber feet can be used as holder for the stone during sharpening

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 3.2 x 1.2 inches ; 1.8 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0006NFDPI
• California residents: Click here for Proposition 65 warning.
• Item model number: 61463624336
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #88 in Industrial & Scientific (See Top 100 in Industrial & Scientific)
  • #6 in Industrial & Scientific > Abrasive & Finishing Products > Sharpening Stones
  • #7 in Home & Kitchen > Kitchen & Dining > Kitchen Knives & Cutlery Accessories > Knife Sharpeners
  • #57 in Home & Kitchen > Kitchen & Dining > Small Appliances > Specialty Appliances

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Waterstones are synthetic stones designed to be softer than oil stones. These softer grade stones are used with water as the lubricant (versus oil) to develop fast-cutting slurry. Designed in a carefully planned and efficient sharpening sequence. You get the level of abrasiveness that you need at each stage, without wasting time trying to sharpen your knives on a grit that is too fine, too soon.

Product Description

The Norton 24336 Japanese-style 4000/8000-grit combination waterstone creates an abrasive slurry for effective sharpening, with 4000 grit on one face for maintaining and refining a cutting edge, and 8000 grit on the opposite face for polishing cutting edges; this 1 x 8 x 3 inch (H x W x D) stone, suitable for bench use, cleans up easily with water, and comes encased in a blue plastic hinged box. (H is height, the vertical distance from lowest to highest point; W is width, the horizontal distance from left to right; D is depth, the horizontal distance from front to back.) The box protects the waterstone and provides a reservoir to keep it moist. The removable box lid, with no-slip rubber feet, acts as a sharpening station to hold the waterstone in place during bench use.

This synthetic waterstone is created by grading abrasive material to a consistent particle size and blending it with bonding agents. It is then molded and surface-finished. Waterstones have a finer grit and softer bond than oilstones, and use water as the lubricant to develop a slurry, a thin paste of abrasive grains and water that removes metal with less pressure than an oilstone requires. Cleanup is easier than with oil as lubricant. The use of waterstones originated in Japan, where such stones occur naturally. As a result, some synthetic waterstones may be called “Japanese-style.” However, whether natural or synthetic, and whether labeled “Japanese-style,” all waterstones have the same basic characteristics. This stone conforms to the Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) for waterstones.

Sharpening stones, or whetstones, are abrasive surfaces used to sharpen and hone the edges of steel cutting implements such as chisels, knives, scissors, hand scrapers, and plane blades. Sharpening is the process of creating or re-establishing a cutting edge by grinding away portions of the metal to adjust the angle of the edge and reform the shape. Honing removes small imperfections. Stones can be flat, for working flat edges, or shaped, for edges that are more complex. Sharpening stones are made of natural or synthetic materials that range from softer to harder, and are categorized by the size of their abrasive particles, known as grit. A stone with a coarser grit is used when more metal needs to be removed (e.g., when sharpening a nicked or very dull blade); the stone with the finest grit produces the sharpest edge. Where numbers are assigned to specify grit, they range from coarser grit (low) to finer grit (high). Some sharpening stones are designed for use with a lubricating liquid, some can be used dry, and others can be used either wet or dry. When used with lubricating liquid, a sharpening stone can be called a waterstone or an oilstone, based on the lubricant required.

Norton Abrasives manufactures sanding, grinding, and polishing abrasives, and has been located in the United States since 1885. Norton, now a brand of Saint-Gobain, meets ISO 9000 and 14001 certification for quality and environmental management standards.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars combo stone came apart at glue joint November 30, 2009

By Jeffrey Forbes

I like these stones, though like all water stones, they are quite soft, and require frequent flattening. The problem I had was that after soaking in water for awhile, my combination stone separated at the adhesive that held the two different grit stones together. They still work as two separate stones, but they are now each quite thin, and I don't expect to get as much life out of them. I wish I'd just purchased two separate water stones. You might also want to check out the Shapton stones. They are expensive, but are much harder than Norton or Japanese water stones, and so don't groove so quickly.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent buy February 18, 2008

By A. Medina

Excellent, I use this stone to sharpen my straight razor. I bought the straight razor at an antique shop which is where you can find the better ones made out of German material. brought it home used the 4000 then the 8000 which really gets close to a mirror finish, then stropped before using it. Big difference before and after the stone touched the blade. I'll reccomend this to anyone, especially for those who have the straight razor. The width of this stone is perfect for the blade and you can easily put it away after your done.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recomended to get 'razor' edge October 27, 2010

By W. L. Holder

Amazon Verified Purchase

I use the Japanese style stones to sharpen all my knives, as well as straight razors I shave with. They are a little different than the standard stones, but if you want a truely 'razor sharp' blade, this is the only way to get it. Many people say, "my knife will shave hairs." Yes, but can it do it without razor burn? My kitchen knife will shave hairs off my arm, but that doesnt mean Id be willing to shave my face with that blade.

These stones need to be soaked in water prior to use. Only about 20 minutes. More than that can cause problems, they are not meant to be STORED in water. Too much soaking can lead to the stone degrading or the glue splitting the two sides apart as other reviewers mentioned.

This stone is meant to hone more than sharpen. That means you should ALREADY have a sharp knife before you use this stone. If your knife is dull, sharpen it by whatever method you would usually use, I personally use another Japanese water stone Steelex D1067 800-Grit Japanese Waterstone.

The 8000 grit side of this stone will polish the side of a blade to a true mirror finish if you wish. The edge gets the same, but obviously its harder to see. This level of finish causes the blade to be significantly sharper than a 'regular' sharp knife, plus it stays sharp longer and cuts smoother as well.

The only drawback to this type of stone is that they are softer and wear faster than other types. Thankfully, it can be made flat again by using 600-1000 grit sandpaper and a flat surface to rub the stone on. So I find it more useful as I can ensure my stone is always flat that way. It is not nearly as easy to re-flatten a traditional whetstone.

The price for this stone seemed fairly typical of what I have seen at other sellers. I have Amazon Prime membership so when I figured in the free shipping, it made Amazon.com the best place to purchase by a long shot.