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Norton Ascent

Legion

Staff member
Sapphires are aluminum oxide so it figures, more a marketing spiel than anything else but true. Ruby is another gemstone also composed of aluminum oxide, the red color comes from trace amounts of chromium.

There are a whole variety of aluminum oxide abrasives available, different colors and properties, how hard they are, how friable, etc.
Oh, well there ya go. You learn something new every day.
 
In the video the presenter says that the stone is a “fused alumina” product, this is a common term for a sintered product.
They are basically Nortons version of the Spyderco Fine/Ultra Fine stones which are also sintered. I believe the Spyderco stones are manufactured by Idahone.

Sintering abrasive into a stone has been around a while, Degussit stones used in the jewelry trade are one example of a sintered aluminum oxide stone. Ben Bouchard over at Baryonyx Knives has also started producing a sintered Silicon Carbide stone under the Black Magic name.

If these Nortons are anything like the Spyderco UF they will be anything but a midrange stone, the UF is renowned for the fineness of the finish it leaves.

For some reason manufacturers of ceramic stones recommend dry honing, hence the obvious loading in the video, but I have found a light oil works well on ceramics and helps keep the stone from loading. There’s a post over at one of the knife forums of someone who uses the UF with glycerine and it keeps the stone very clean. Bar Keepers Friend/Comet/Ajax can be used for more stubborn swarf.

Extremely hard, non friable stones of any kind are best suited to the final stages of sharpening.

Have you played with the Arkeram stones?
 
If the hard sintered stones like the spyderco don’t release any particles can you use them as a hard base stone with a natural nagura?
I just tried it on my spyderco double stuff, using a slate nagura. works fine in my opinion. I am not sure how well it will work with razors though.
My understanding is that the ultra fine and the fine spyderco is the same stone, they are just finished differently.
 
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Have you played with the Arkeram stones?

No but I know of them, I don't think they go up to a super fine grit though, the finest I recall seeing was maybe 1000 grit.

If the hard sintered stones like the spyderco don’t release any particles can you use them as a hard base stone with a natural nagura?
I just tried it on my spyderco double stuff, using a slate nagura. works fine in my opinion. I am not sure how well it will work with razors though.
My understanding is that the ultra fine and the fine spyderco is the same stone, they are just finished differently.

In some forum I remember a guy who would apply spray diamond to one side of the Spyderco UF to further enhance the polish. Can't see why slurry from a stone wouldn't work, might be a decent platform for testing the fineness of different nagura since no base stone would get kicked up slurrying. Can only speculate since I'm not a Jnat user.

Never seen solid info on whether the Fine and UF are the same. Some absolutely crazy folks have lapped the Fines to be more like the UF, I can only imagine the amount of work, and you'd have to use lapidary diamond powder due to the hardness of the stone. A slow and expensive task.
 
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Norton Ascent…had to try one.
So…..
T-I 5/8, in dire need of an edge
Bevel set with Naniwa SS 1k, then to….
Jonathan Coe Arkansas progression
-Bethesda Black
-Dota Creek
-Arkansas Grey
Finally, Norton Ascent
………I have no complaints.
 
Norton Ascent. The saga continues….
Still learning this stone. As a finisher for heavier grinds (1/4-1/2 hollow) this rock does an admirable job. Pretty fast, even on the French C-135 stuff. Not too sure about using it on extra hollow blades yet. We shall continue the investigation. For now, it can be said it did a good job on this Wapienica
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Never seen solid info on whether the Fine and UF are the same. Some absolutely crazy folks have lapped the Fines to be more like the UF, I can only imagine the amount of work, and you'd have to use lapidary diamond powder due to the hardness of the stone. A slow and expensive task.

There absolutely is solid info that they are one and the same, from Sal Glesser himself. The Fine hones are sold as they come from sintering. The Ultra Fine hones are the same exact hones but ground flat and finer with a diamond grinding wheel.

I have lapped a 3"× 8" UF that wasn't as flat as I'd have liked. It took a little time but was manageable with SiC loose grit. Just gotta keep the grit refreshed frequently. Diamond would probably work much better.
 
I've taken Fines to UF's using DMT's and high grit sandpaper at least twice, and I think three times. I can't tell the difference from a UF side by side after other than the UF has a circular pattern that shows up when it gets some swarf on it (they polish with a rotary sander it appears).

Haven't tried these nortons, but I would expect they're gonna be really similar to the F/UF Spyders.

UF is one of those stones I KNOW I'm not getting the most out of, but I just can't be bothered to take the time with it. Basically one of the only stones I've gotten better shaves from someone else honing on vs myself.
 

Steve56

Ask me about shaving naked!
This is apparently being touted as a replacement for the Hard Arkansas:




Anybody tried one...?

Re-reading this thread - Norton still sells Arkansas AFAIK, so why do they need to replace it? Random thoughts here.
 
Re-reading this thread - Norton still sells Arkansas AFAIK, so why do they need to replace it? Random thoughts here.


Yeah I'm not entirely clear on this.

I've read a couple of people on other forums call these 'replacements' for the Norton hard arks. But I'm not sure if perhaps that refers specifically to the arks cut for use in the Norton Tri-Hone things. Or whether people think this an actual long term replacement for all Norton hard arks - that they might have stopped quarrying them and just going through selling old material atm.

Though that would explain perhaps the significant price increases in old Norton Translucents in the last year or so...(?)
 
I've taken Fines to UF's using DMT's and high grit sandpaper at least twice, and I think three times. I can't tell the difference from a UF side by side after other than the UF has a circular pattern that shows up when it gets some swarf on it (they polish with a rotary sander it appears).

Haven't tried these nortons, but I would expect they're gonna be really similar to the F/UF Spyders.

UF is one of those stones I KNOW I'm not getting the most out of, but I just can't be bothered to take the time with it. Basically one of the only stones I've gotten better shaves from someone else honing on vs myself.
Do you know if people are using the UF dry or with lubricant?

I have a UF and for pocket knives it seems to work best dry. When lapped go a high grit and lubricated it just cuts too slow if at all.
I wonder if those with SR’s are using it dry or wet.
 
Do you know if people are using the UF dry or with lubricant?

I have a UF and for pocket knives it seems to work best dry. When lapped go a high grit and lubricated it just cuts too slow if at all.
I wonder if those with SR’s are using it dry or wet.

I don't use my flattened UF a whole lot, but I always use it dry. It does produce a very nice and smooth edge, but honing feel is pretty terrible. Basically feels like sliding a blade on ice.

I can't tell the difference from a UF side by side after other than the UF has a circular pattern that shows up when it gets some swarf on it (they polish with a rotary sander it appears).

The "circular" pattern on the factory finished UF is due to the use of a diamond "cup" grinding wheel. As I mentioned earlier, the UF hones are ground flat after sintering.
 
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The jury is in.
The Norton Ascent is fast, flat, and effective. A black Arkansas stone it ain’t.
Yes, a serviceable edge can be readily obtained using the Ascent as a finisher, but it does not quite meet my standards. After working out on the Norton, a semi-lengthy session on my black Arkansas made a significant difference/improvement.
In all…a good (albeit not necessary) addition to the hone collection.
 
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