Thread: 3/8 h/g vs 8/8 h/ground blade

which one is hard to hone and why?

IME the smaller blade. I haven't honed many that small but the light weight and close geometry seemed to make them more difficult for me. I find it easier to use correct pressure on a larger blade is one thing.

Agreed. The smaller is much harder. The geometry is much more difficult to maintain. You can really torque the edge on a larger razor but you can't on the smaller one. Also, taping a 3/8 razor, especially a wedge, can be a nightmare due to the edge of the tape extending so far onto the belly of the blade.

I have had more trouble with a 3/8 blade than any 8/8 blade I have tried. I think just torquing the razor's blade face on such a smaller level can make tuning in edge sections a little trickier.

I don't know that one is harder than the other, but I have to pay more attention with smaller blades.

For me the smaller blades require more skill to reach the same level of honing quality. Any uneven pressure exagerates rounding off the edge.

Imo, Larger blades are much easier to handle on a hone that smaller blades. combined with the fact that I don't like shaving with smaller blades, I just decided that I would not hone (or restore) anything smaller than 11/16.

The smaller blade is more difficult for me. Keeping the proper weight distribution, edge/spine, is the problem area. It is much easier to " stub" the edge into the hone.

i thank you everyone who respond to this thread and thought will better i post the reason why i post this question.
Recently i had 6 razors to hone. No one was at home and i decide to head hone them up and get job done.
5 of the them were 4 7/8,1 is 8/8 and last one 3 /8.
i checked the blades and start to work.
1 st i did finish 8/8 h/g(in my mind i thought this is the hardest one) lets make this one first.
Next i honed 4 7/8 blades .
Total time i spend almost 1.45 minutes.
Wasn't bad at all. i was taking my time and enjoyed honing.
Now i said ok i am done and will come back to this 3/8 later .
then i decide oh NOOOOOO very small blade hollow ground will take me less then 15 minutes let me finish and i wont get dirty later.
I start to hone this little 3/8 hollow ground blade.
everything was fine. i set bevel 1k shapton then i moved my natural stones.Blade was almost shave ready condition on japanese stones and i decide my last touch for finishing the edge.
To use lovely light green Escher.
stone is ok size 7 by 1 1/8 .
i start make my strokes after 5 stroke OPPS I HIT THE EDGE STRAIGHT TO THE STONE ???
himmmmmmm.
i thought what was that?
Ok i said lets go back to 1k and start all over ACCIDENTS Happens.
Now i didn't change anything from my previous honing routine.
SET bevel and move on until Escher.
ok same Routine start to make my last finishing strokes . i do take every pressure out in my last strokes.
All off a sudden i hit the edge straight to the stone again ?
What happen ? what is wrong with me? when i flip the blade i flip the blade more then i should and make strokes edge touching the stone?
Now this made me Mad.
i am getting crazy now.
i stood up walk around then i thought something wrong with my hands.
May be i am getting old and my hands are shaking???
went front of the mirror and checked out my hands ? they seems to ok.
No shaking .
Ok what it is then ?
i am still Mad at myself. Open another Thiers blade just to look at it . Used so much force cracked the handle?
Ok what is wrong with me?
Now i am out of my mind?
(i used to smoke. in similar situations i would pick up cig and smoke and calm myself down)
I don't smoke anymore.
i sit down and try to calm myself ?
In my mind i am getting just crazy?
questions i have to ask myself?
This is someone else blade with this speed i will have nothing left from this blade?
Next why i am doing exact same mistakes twice in a Row?
Then seems like someone told me Listen to Sham?
this made me think?
Go head turn on the computer and check your own honing and see what you will see.
i did.
i watched the video and i mention couple times

IN LAST STAGE OF HONING TAKE YOUR TIME , DON'T HURRY UP. IF YOU MAKE MISTAKE YOU SHOULD GO BACK ALL WAY TO 1K.

I knew this but i was overconfident Person. i was thinking i have done this so many times . will do it again.
After video i did calm down more. took Blade to 1k and start to hone.
i finished the edge an Escher test the blade .
Smile come to my face.
was happy at the end.
Now i think if you do hone small size blades and don't think it is easier then rest . they are all challenging. Take your time and get job done.
i spend more time to finish 3/8 blade then i honed 5 more larger heavy blades.
Lesson Learned.
hope this will help some of you.

Yup, that's exactly why I have to pay more attention on small razors. If I don't, on my away stroke, I've dug the edge into the hone. For whatever reason, when it happened to me, it was on the Naniwa 8k, and it takes a little slice out of the hone. I corrrect it in the same way too. Go extra slow and pay extra attention.

I don't know what it is, but whether on the hones, on the strop, or on my face, it's easiest to loose the angle and mess something up with a smaller razor. This is exactly why I don't recommend anything under 5/8 to a new shaver.