Quote Originally Posted by Ben325e View Post
I absolutely do japanese style honing on razors. It's quick and very effective at providing uniformity. I try to keep very even pressure from one stroke to the next, and ensure that I do the same number of strokes per side, usually five or ten on one side, then the same on the other.

I cringe when I read posts about guys taking five or so hours setting a bevel. Even with smiling blades, I just drop down to lower grit diamond hones to get the job done quickly.
+1

Circles and Japanese style. I'm not afraid of dropping down as low as the DMT325. I rather do 20 strokes there than 80 on the DMT600 or 400 on the DMT1200.
I go easy on the pressure though, as I have noticed how easy it is to flex a hollow ground blade and end up with a bevel that's wider with the low grit scratches. Adding two layers of tape to the spine while still in the more pressure driven honing stages, helps to avoid this broadening of the bevel. As soon as I remove the tape, I avoid all significant pressure.
These techniques all apply to bevel setting stages of sharpening.

Bart.