Thread: Newbie ready to go!

Hello all! I got my 4k/8k stones in the mail today, and I sat down for some quality time with my Dovo Astrale. I soaked the stones in the sink for 15 minutes, then went to work on the 4k side. I had previously done 20 minutes worth of passes on my dad's knife hone. I know my razor is dull and uneven, but curiosity got the better of me and I wanted a try at the norton.

I'm going to lap the norton tomorrow with some 400/1000 grit sandpaper, then tape the edge and do some circles on the 1000 grit to get a better base upon which to sharpen.

I was curious about the honing pattern though. My norton is wide enough to accomodate the full width of my blade. Is it still wise to use the X pattern? It seems like honing back and forth without moving laterally would prevent wearing away the middle of the blade.

Is it alright to place my finger on the middle of the heel when honing? Keeping light pressure on the shank, I felt like the heel was getting more pressure than the point. With my pointer finger on the middle of the spine, the pass felt more even and without any rocking motion.

I'll get one of those radioshack microscopes tomorrow and see what the status of my blade's edge is. Thanks everyone!