Thread: honing easy?

Good Morning everyone :-)

So i just spent a few minutes watching some honing videos on youtube. and they lay flat the blade on the stone. They say that the blade has a natural angle that when you lay flat the blade on the stone it will be the correct angle for honing the blade. This is the proper technique?

Also will it not damage over time the spine of the blade? this is a quote from one of the videos=

"All straight razors have a natural angle. Lay the razor flat on the hone with the spine and the edge touching the surface, that's the natural angle."


Thank you

A lot of the members here who hone razors will use a layer of electrical tape on the spine to protect it, especially if it is a worked spine.

Here is a link to some excellent honing videos by gssixgun that can answer a lot of your honing questions:
gssixgun videos | Watch gssixgun videos | gssixgun online videos | Download gssixgun videos | gssixgun live videos

Yes that is the proper technique. The blade sits flat on the stone, and you don't lift the spine at all. Honing will wear the spine of the blade over time. Some people cover the spine to prevent wear to the spine. No, honing is not easy.

Michael

Originally Posted by mjsorkin

Yes that is the proper technique. The blade sits flat on the stone, and you don't lift the spine at all. Honing will wear the spine of the blade over time. Some people cover the spine to prevent wear to the spine. No, honing is not easy.

Michael

Thank you, i mean im sure its not easy but it seems more easy than i was thinking. I was thinking that the blade needed to be at a certain angle but if its flat on its side then its seems easier.

You are correct; the razor is designed such that the spine acts as an angle guide when honing. Honing a razor adequately is simple and rather un-complicated, but can take a little practice to get a feel for doing it. Those who strive for an optimum edge on their razors can make it sound difficult when they describe their methods.

The moving the steel on the stone part is easy, the hard part is learning correct pressure, knowing when to move up a stone (edge evaluation), developing the skill of understanding the feedback the stone and razor give off during honing.

Originally Posted by Xilbus

Thank you, i mean im sure its not easy but it seems more easy than i was thinking. I was thinking that the blade needed to be at a certain angle but if its flat on its side then its seems easier.

I was a tiny bit sarcastic. Sorry. You are right, it would be much harder if you had to set the angle yourself. Every other part of it has been a challenge for me, but I'm doing okay now. It seems much easier with practice.

-----Michael

So my blade is a dovo diamant and i got it from Phil at the classicedge.ca and he honed it before sending me the blade.
Should this be ok to keep it shave ready?
Naniwa Combination Water Stone 3000/8000 Grit
Naniwa Combination Water Stone 3000/8000 grit

Originally Posted by Xilbus

So my blade is a dovo diamant and i got it from Phil at the classicedge.ca and he honed it before sending me the blade.
Should this be ok to keep it shave ready?
Naniwa Combination Water Stone 3000/8000 Grit
Naniwa Combination Water Stone 3000/8000 grit

In the short term (3 - 12 months) a good strop should be all that is needed - if you do it correctly.
If you don't then the edge may need honing before the first shave.
Concentrate on stropping and shaving first - then maybe get into honing

Honing is a skill which is not impossible to acquire. It takes practice. It is good to have some steel to destroy while practicing. Eventually you will develop the muscle memory and the knowledge/experience to direct the muscle memory. Naniwa stones would certainly be capable of maintaining a sharp razor.

The best advice for now is concentrate on developing a good stropping technique. It will make learning to hone much easier for many reasons.