Thread: The Transition Stone

Generally after the transition and you still have an edge, no chips, just honing until you remove the previous stria, which for me is about 20 circles and 30 -40 laps, and I am ready to move up, if and only if the edge is chip free. If you see shiny spots on the edge, do more laps and bring the bevels back to meeting, do not try to do it later with a higher grit stone.

That is just a rough guide, I try to get the bevels as nice looking with an even stria pattern and the edge as straight as possible with no chips. Every time I try to cheat, I end right back where I knew I should have put in more time.

I use the TPT for a quick test and I just try to grab a hair in the early grits, then use magnification looking straight down on the edge.

Arm hair, for me is hit and miss, mine cuts up to 4k then stops and cut again after a good 12k edge, so I do not rely on it. The eyes don't lie, if you see shiny reflections, the edges are not fully meeting.

Can the edge get so thin it becomes a flexing foil edge? Probably, and if it breaks off then you have a new ragged edge, My solution is Jointing the edge, (lightly dragging the edge on the corner of the stone), removing the thin edge and making a new straight edge, then hone lightly to bring them back to meeting at a straight edge.

This is where learning your stones and knowing how much pressure you need, to get the results you want. Worst case, just joint the edge and set it again, some time I have to Joint a couple times, just takes a minute. If the edge looks too chippy, Joint it to get to good steel.