Thread: How do you assess and use feedback from a stone?

I was just wondering what differences there might be between how we each pay attention to and use the feedback given by a particular stone (or hone). I have heard guys talk about the sound that the blade makes on different honing surfaces, as well as the amount of resistance to movement of the blade.

I tend to disregard everything but actual tests of the edge's keen-ness and smoothness; I also don't really get any useful information from the tactile or audible experiences during the honing process. I mean, the difference between the various stones/hones doesn't seem to affect my technique or, for that matter, results.

So I guess my question is the title for the thread, as well as whether you depend on feedback for determining anything about the edge's progress.

Russel,

I like to watch the way water (or sometimes slurry) runs up the edge / is pushed in a wave in front of the edge.
I can see it when a part of the edge stays behind, for whatever reason. Often it also offers me some guidance in making better contact with those blades, or in performing a nicely balanced rolling X, when required.

Apart from that, I don't see, feel, hear or smell any disguised message coming from my hones.
I rely on the TPT mainly, and on the HHT for bevel-setting (I don't leave my DMT1200 before I can pop a hair off the tip, middle and heel of a razor)

Best regards,
Bart.

I've noticed some natural stones, like takashima tomae do have a distinct smell. But there's not enough smellers in my collection to judge any certain qualities. I can judge hardness of an unknown by the speed of its slurrying, and how much metal is being cut by the amount of swarf in that slurry, but can't we all.

such things are good for evaluation of a new stone in the lineup, comparisons to similar hones etc.

I have never counted strokes, but I look to see what's happening. We can watch the wave, but what it does is dependent on speed, down force, depth of slurry .... you need the context of how you do it, I think, to form any conclusions.


My hobby work, craft,art serves a function for me as a development of intuition, the eye, the feel. So while I try to be observant, I prefer to let the input soak in, rather than over analyze. I try to be helpful when I feel my experience may be add to a discussion, but I am no teacher so it can be difficult to communicate, some things sometimes intentionally internalized.

On my Sypderco's, esp the fine, I find that the blade gives a bit more resistance as the edge becomes keen. It's similar to the way a keen edge provides more draw when I am stropping. The same goes for my Swaty.

But that varies from hone to hone. On my King (which is only a 1k), more resisitance usually means that I need a bit more water because whatever was in/on the stone is beginning to evaporate/dry off.

I find with natural stones if the stone is highly polished there is to tactile feel as you hone to tell you what is happening but with my coticule which is not really polished vs my vintage escher which is if you use a really light touch on the hone you can detect a change as the blade hones up. Its subtle but its there. if you apply any pressure you lose it though.

Funny you should mention smell. being a rockhound from way back, all natural rocks have a particular smell depending on their makeup. Some are very strong earth smells and some not so much and some entirely different. Usually the more porous the rock the more it smells. Clay minerals seem to smell the most. What does this have to do with honing? Nothing really.

Originally Posted by holli4pirating

On my Sypderco's, esp the fine, I find that the blade gives a bit more resistance as the edge becomes keen. It's similar to the way a keen edge provides more draw when I am stropping. The same goes for my Swaty.

But that varies from hone to hone. On my King (which is only a 1k), more resisitance usually means that I need a bit more water because whatever was in/on the stone is beginning to evaporate/dry off.

I use the spyderco F & UF, and I noticed the extra resistance that lets me know when I am getting sharp enough.

Well, I sometimes listen, but primarily feel for the blade's progress along the hone. I also use the TPT after every few laps to chart the progress with how it feels on my thumb.

X

I usually get a tactile "feeling" when the edge is working the hone correctly. Hard to describe. I get the same sort of feeling when sharpening a knife, only it's more subtle with a razor.

I depend on the standard edge tests regardless of any other feedback.

I get a clear resistance feeling, a vacuum sucking down type feeling when the blade is honed to the optimum.

The hone has to be wet. The resistance is stronger on my clay based hones and less on the belgian hone.

What I find is that there is no resistance until the edge is polished to the grit of the hone . When I feel the resistance, I will do one more return to check the feeling and then stop and move onto a new hone or change from slurry to just water.

I find if I hone on against the resistance, I am reducing rather than developing the edge.

This resistance feeling for me at least was the first time I started to understand what worked and what didn't.

You know the vacuum feeling you get when you use a rubbing stone on a hone to get a slurry and the way the vacuum gets stronger as the slurry thickens........... Well it's that sort of feeling but much less obvious. The blade sort of sucks downwards once the ridges even out to the grade of the hone.

Well it does for me at least. I hone very lightly, but I do use my second hand to ensure the blade is flat on the hone.

Thanks guys, great input.

Do any of you find the sound of the blade on the hone beneficial?