Thread: Crazy ?....don't stone me!

Remember....Newbie. I was told that honing a razor and a knife are 2 totally different things. I was wondering (just curious) , why can't a razor be sharpened on say a new fangled knife sharpener and then say finished on a razor hone or strop?

A knife is a 15-25 degree bevel. A razor is waaaay less. That's the short answer. I'll let someone with more experience write the long answer.

The long answer:

NO

Originally Posted by dlbama1

Remember....Newbie. I was told that honing a razor and a knife are 2 totally different things. I was wondering (just curious) , why can't a razor be sharpened on say a new fangled knife sharpener and then say finished on a razor hone or strop?

Its a different process. When sharpening a knife, the edge is held at an angle above the hone, until a bevel is created (along with a burr) then held at a steeper angle for a few light strokes, perhaps on a finer hone, to create the edge itself.
Many of the "newfangled" sharpeners are also destructive in nature; many simply use two carbide edges to "cut" the edge off of the knife leaving new steel, after which it is touched up with a ceramic rod...this would destroy a razor...others, while they may work, are less than ideal. I've used a Spyderco triangle sharpmaker to hone a razor, using the method shown in the video that comes with it-it works, but with the included sharpening rods is still a bit coarse, one would probably have to buy the ultra-fine rods in addition, to come anywhere close to a *good* edge....

As many here will say, 1. hones used for knives are generally MUCH MUCH too coarse as a general rule for straights. Razors are (typically) honed using grits of 4,000 to start (a "fine" DMT for knives, is, I believe, only 1200-a cinder block by comparison) as the "rough" hone, then graduating upwards to 6, 8, 12,000 perhaps even finer grits. The edge is not held at an angle; the spine of the razor and its edge should be held flat. If one were to try an "initial/final" bevel trick as used with knives, it would literally destroy your razor and no stropping would help it short of (if you are lucky) resetting the bevel on a coarse hone, getting rid of all the damage-or (if you are not) throwing the razor away or having it reground.

There are lots of posts on this subject here and elsewhere, the process is indeed quite different .
In short, the "new fangled sharpeners" would destroy the delicate, microscopic edge of your razor.

Not sure if that helps, but there you go.
John P.

for all the great info!