Thread: Side Stroke, Side Honing Revisited?

Side Stroke, Side Honing, Vibratory or Vibration honing revisited.

First this thread, in some ways is not new, (some of this has been discussed before here), is a bit long and may create some confusion. But this is a bit different than what has been discussed before. It is in theory an advanced technique, which is why, it is posted in Advanced Honing forum. I welcome your thoughts, do give it a try it is simple and non-destructive.

A while back, I posted a thread, “Hone a Straight Edge or to a Straight Edge?” Where I interpted a technique that Iwasaki wrote and Jim Rion translated, in his essay on honing and described a finishing technique in, ("Honing Razors and Nihonkamisori").

My question, is Iwasaki describing a breadknife/jointing technique or a horizontal stroke, up and down, parallel to the edge, with the spine and edge flat on the stone? At the time, I though he was describing, a jointing technique to straighten the edge. I am still not sure which technique he was describing.

Opinions were divided, as the description could either be a jointing or side honing technique. I began researching the possibility of Iwasaki describing Side Stroke Honing or what the Japanese call, Vibration Honing, a horizontal stroke, as shown in Takeshi-San video, (

Takeshi-San (at about 200 on the video

) linked here and in the thread.

In watching videos of Japanese honers honing razors, and narrated in Japanese, described as Vibration or Vibitory Technique, moving the razor up and down heel to toe, a millimeter or two at the finish stone level. Here is another video of the Vibration technique.

In the original thread, I posted a video of

Alex Gilmores finishing a razor, (at about, 620

) with a jointing technique similar to what I envisioned, but he also discusses the possibility of Iwasaki describing what Alex calls “Parallel Honing Strokes”. Alex’s video has some good micrographs of his process and his findings. In further searching the technique, there was a reference to the Harreson Stanley’s Side Honing Method, using a jig for tool sharpening and this is not that.

So, recently I was finishing a razor that I had removed a shallow but wide chip, where the customer had hit a faucet. The chip was easily removed but upon stropping the edge, micro chipped where the chip damage had been.

I re-honed the razor (8 and 12k), and was about to go to the 20k. I noticed some random deeper 12k stria, common to Super Stones, when they begin to load up. I would normally, lightly re-lap the 12k with a 4k stone and re- set an even stria, 12k bevel and a straight edge.

Except this time I had been thinking about the Vibrating/Side Honing technique. So without lapping or cleaning the stone, I did 5 horizontal strokes with about 10mm of travel on each side, blade flat on the stone and looked at the bevels. Most of the 12k stria was removed, except some of the deeper stria, probably 75 percent of the 12k stria was removed.

Another 10, side stroke laps at about a 45 degree angle, so the whole blade fits on the stone, all vertical stria was removed, leaving just lite horizontal stria, no vertical stria from any previous grits and a polished bevel and straight edge.

I finished with 21 more of Alex Gilmore’s Ax laps on the 20K, (10,5,3,2,1) and 5 more finishing, Side honing, heel/toe horizontal laps, with lite pressure and 5-6 mm of motion, leaving a very nice polished bevel and straight chip free edge. I stropped 100 laps on leather and test shave the razor, very clean and crisp edge.

So what’s the point?

Recently in another honing thread, a new honer having an edge problem that in the end came down to deep stria from a low grit 220 stone and too much pressure. He spent a few days sorting it out, but in the end, removed all the deep stria and got the razor to shave. I though this might be a way for new guys, to easily remove deep stria and set and polish a bevel quicker and chip free.

It is not just, the Side Honing method as Harrelson Stanley described, but more of a combination of regular stroke honing and removing the stria perpendicular to the edge, with a side honing technique, then moving to the next grit in the progression and lay down new stria and side honing that stria from the bevel and continue with each stone, all the way to the finish stone, (not just the finish stone as Iwasaki did).

To test the theory, I took a Norton 1k, my most aggressive 1k stone and a razor that had been hand sanded and without a bevel.

I quickly set the bevel in 21 laps, with the Ax technique, often described as half lap honing. I lightly jointed the edge on the corner of the 1K stone and re-set a sharp edge, in 11 laps, (5, 3, 2, 1 series).

I then did 10 horizontal heel/toe vibratory/side honing laps with a bit of pressure, about 10mm of movement up and down and all the 1k vertical stria was removed. I proceeded to the 4k using the same technique on each stone, Half lap & side honing, and continued through the progression, 4,8,12 and 20k.

The whole process took 10-15 minutes and left a very nice keen edge with no deep or random stria and a very straight edge.

In many ways, it is like circle honing on steroids, avoiding the diagonal stria common to circle honing, and extra pressure can easily be applied to the heel or toe, if needed. Smiling edges can use a rocking motion to completely hone the entire edge smoothly.

In essence, after establishing a set bevel, you lay down 1k stria, then remove it with side honing, then lay down the next progression stria and remove it, side honing and continuing in the progression to the finish stone. Since then, I have honed several razors using this technique and all have quickly produces keen, chip free, straight shaving edges.

Give it a try and post your thoughts.