Thread: Hone Help

Hi, i just need a few pointers please.
I've purchased some Shaptons, 1K,4K,8K,16K.
I've watched untold honing videos and read quite a bit on the subject.
I know it takes time to learn this skill but there is one thing im not sure on.
So far ive hones 2 razors and i seem to be changing the hight of the bevel. The bevel on most razors i've seen is quite a thin line but after ive done some honing that bevel is at least 2 times thicker, at least on one side.
So what am i doing wrong? am i over honing and how would i get the bevel back to a thin line?
Cheers for the help, im a dumb a*s

It sounds like the new bevel you made is simply reflecting the guidance given to it by the spine. Generally if you have a wider bevel your bevel angle is more thin. If you want to avoid this you could tape the spine to keep the bevel narrow but it will thicken the bevel. Another thing to consider is the pressure you use. Pressure will also cause wider bevels. When setting a bevel it should be about the same pressure you would use if you were erasing something with a pencil eraser.

Originally Posted by 1holegrouper

It sounds like the new bevel you made is simply reflecting the guidance given to it by the spine. Generally if you have a wider bevel your bevel angle is more thin. If you want to avoid this you could tape the spine to keep the bevel narrow but it will thicken the bevel. Another thing to consider is the pressure you use. Pressure will also cause wider bevels. When setting a bevel it should be about the same pressure you would use if you were erasing something with a pencil eraser.

So i should start with light pressure and by the time im on the 16K have no pressure?
How do i know its time to move onto the next stone? is it when i can feel the stone is no longer cutting and the blade is sliding like its on glass, or is that my imagination
Luckly im using my brothers blade. I'll move onto mine when im perficient..
thx

Originally Posted by JOB15

So i should start with light pressure and by the time im on the 16K have no pressure?
How do i know its time to move onto the next stone? is it when i can feel the stone is no longer cutting and the blade is sliding like its on glass, or is that my imagination
Luckly im using my brothers blade. I'll move onto mine when im perficient..
thx

No, is not your imagination! I also started with the Shapton glass 4,8 and 16k to learn how to hone razors. If you have the same stones (the glass), they are fast and that's the feed back they give, also they have a little suction that tells you that the edge is done in that stone (most of the times, but not always)

One thing oneholegruper said about the pressure on the blade is accurate, however, I would add that you want the pressure on the edge and not on the spine. You need to torque the blade toward the edge without lifting the spine to set the bevel. Once the bevel is set, I would use close to the same pressure as the blade, unless you have a section of the edge that is not pushing water as you go down the hone. Then I would use a little torque on that part of the edge or push (little pressure ) with the finger where is not pushing water, until I get even water push along the edge. Which tells me that the whole edge is getting touch by the stone.

Also try feeling the edge with your finger along the process, it will start teaching you how the edge is reacting to your honing in the stone. I do the TPT (thumb pad test) and cut hair at the root test. I also use sometimes the magnifier to see that I have set the bevel and to make sure that the edge is making even scratch pattern along the way with each stone. These test warrantee me that the edge is uniformly sharp at each step, before moving to the next stone. Hope this help Double O

Originally Posted by Double0757

No, is not your imagination! I also started with the Shapton glass 4,8 and 16k to learn how to hone razors. If you have the same stones (the glass), they are fast and that's the feed back they give, also they have a little suction that tells you that the edge is done in that stone (most of the times, but not always)

One thing oneholegruper said about the pressure on the blade is accurate, however, I would add that you want the pressure on the edge and not on the spine. You need to torque the blade toward the edge without lifting the spine to set the bevel. Once the bevel is set, I would use close to the same pressure as the blade, unless you have a section of the edge that is not pushing water as you go down the hone. Then I would use a little torque on that part of the edge or push (little pressure ) with the finger where is not pushing water, until I get even water push along the edge. Which tells me that the whole edge is getting touch by the stone.

Also try feeling the edge with your finger along the process, it will start teaching you how the edge is reacting to your honing in the stone. I do the TPT (thumb pad test) and cut hair at the root test. I also use sometimes the magnifier to see that I have set the bevel and to make sure that the edge is making even scratch pattern along the way with each stone. These test warrantee me that the edge is uniformly sharp at each step, before moving to the next stone. Hope this help Double O

Thanks..Great Advise

I use the Shapton GS series hones. They are fast. Does the razor your sharpening have hone wear? Sometimes your bevel will grow when that's the case.
As mentioned, 1 or 2 layers of a good Electrical tape across the spine will help. It sort of makes up for the lost steel, increasing your angle slightly.
I tend to use more pressure setting a bevel and less as I go, by the time I finishing the blade, I'm using only it's weight. Make sure it makes full contact with the hone. The only bad part about using tape on the Shapton is residue. You'll find as you hone, the tape leaves black residue, requiring you to rinse them more frequently.

I use some of the tests mentioned, The TPT and I use a jeweler's loupe to see the bevel. I'm not as young as I used to be. As you progress, sometimes you can feel the edge "sticking" to the hone, which means it's time to move to the next hone. Sometimes not, In that case, you have to rely on what you see and feel.

Good luck.

Originally Posted by zib

I use the Shapton GS series hones. They are fast. Does the razor your sharpening have hone wear? Sometimes your bevel will grow when that's the case.
As mentioned, 1 or 2 layers of a good Electrical tape across the spine will help. It sort of makes up for the lost steel, increasing your angle slightly.
I tend to use more pressure setting a bevel and less as I go, by the time I finishing the blade, I'm using only it's weight. Make sure it makes full contact with the hone. The only bad part about using tape on the Shapton is residue. You'll find as you hone, the tape leaves black residue, requiring you to rinse them more frequently.

I use some of the tests mentioned, The TPT and I use a jeweler's loupe to see the bevel. I'm not as young as I used to be. As you progress, sometimes you can feel the edge "sticking" to the hone, which means it's time to move to the next hone. Sometimes not, In that case, you have to rely on what you see and feel.

Good luck.

Yeh, there was honing ware on the spine, so using tape would be a good idea. I will try that next time.
I also found that doing circles works well for me on the lower grits.
One other thing: after a few mins honing, the side of the stone that has the heel of the blade going up and down on it, has a black line all along the edge. It is metal remnants but am i catching the edge of the blade ( the un hollowed part) on the edge of the stone?