Thread: Honing with small stones (<2")

So today I did something that may have been quite dumb. I didn't have my Thury with me, but a had my Thury slurry stone and a razor of mine needed a touch up so I figured WTH, and used the slurry stone. What I did was held the razor up in my left hand and made small circles with the stone in my right hand, making sure to keep the spine and edge in contact at all times. What I am wondering is, sure big stones are very convenient, but what is to stop us from using a little stone slid parallel to the edge (like old swords and scythes) or making small circles with a slurry stone?
PS: I have posted in advance so that newbies (newer than I) are less likely to read it and form a bad habit if it is truly bad.

I often think about why barber hones are normally small. In any good honing, providing you have a good stroke going, repeatability gives the keenest edge. Repeatability + Good Stroke =Good Edge. On larger stones there is more room to find trouble. That is why some prefer a narrow hone to a wider one for smileys, less room to get in trouble. I think you gave us a teachable moment, at least for me.
Mike

I'm talking even smaller. Like 1"x1"... and rubbing the stone on the blade. Thoughts?

Originally Posted by khaos

I'm talking even smaller. Like 1"x1"... and rubbing the stone on the blade. Thoughts?

Half of my razors are wider than 1"

I guess if I could somehow rest the hone on the bevels without the support of the spine, then it could be useful

You can use pocket stones to sharpen any edge. Depending on how fragile the edge is you will need a very steady and light touch.

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

Half of my razors are wider than 1"

fine 3"x3". Something large enough to fit the edge and spine, but too small to be a "hone" in the traditional sense. Like I said in teh OP, slurry stone

Hmm, I suppose you could do it that way. Might take you a while though.

Also like was said, you shouldn't do it if your stroke is not up to par. The only other problem I can think of would be spending too much time on one part of the bevel.

I'm never very far from any of my hones, so I'd have to be pretty desperate to use a piece that was 1x1"...not sure I would even then. Gimme a pasted strop, or a piece of newspaper and I'd be ok.

*edit* 3x3 or slurry stone? yeah...I've actually used one of my Coti slurry stones to hit a spot on a blade I couldn't get very easily on my hone. It was about 1" wide and maybe 2-3" long (at least the flat part i used anyway.)

I have a 1X3 translucent, I like to use. I move the stone and hold the razor still.

Charlie

Honing is simply the contact of blade with abrasive surface. The blade doesn't know the size of the hone. The blade and hone only do what the mechanical facts of the action produces. So, I think the question needs to be restated more in terms of how well someone can achieve the right contact of hone and blade.

This has been more or less already stated.

Restating, how well do you understand honing, and how steady is your hand?

Funny, Just last week I was messing with some rub stones I have. I have quite a few little pieces of jnats. Previously I had figured a pocket Spyderco ~1x4 inch to be the smallest readily used; now I still feel the same way. 1" square was just too small to enjoy. An aoto scrubber @~1.5 square was better.

A few days I've just put the pieces in my pocket and carried them around lol. For that. they have the right size.

And they work well enough for my pocket knife, you have to really want to I guess I'm saying, to make the <2's more than your next to last choice