Thread: noob, Honing

Originally Posted by ShaggyChunxx

is there a reason why?

Simply for the sake of simplicity. Sure, I suppose you can hone a razor on a 1" hone, but you increase the likelyhood that you either lift or lower the heel and contact the edge of the hone, which may roll the edge. If you're starting out on honing razors, opt for a 3" hone so you can have contact along the entire edge of the razor while limiting the rolling.

Several truisms come to mind including the fact that sharpening a knife is not the same as honing a razor, there's a different technique to it. Also, it's the hand that hones, not the hone...even with the right equipment, it takes time to develop the requisite skill-set in order to hone a razor. IMHO, it's tough enough to acquire this skill-set without making the job harder using a tiny hone. Other techniques like a rolling-X on a larger wedge would be nearly impossible to pull off using a tiny hone.