Thread: 3 circles = X laps on a BH

If your just refreshing an edge (a near perfect edge) I would just use standard,tried and true X strokes.
Would not dink around with circles JMO,is no need to.

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

If your just refreshing an edge (a near perfect edge) I would just use standard,tried and true X strokes.
Would not dink around with circles JMO,is no need to.

I was taking it as he was pushing it as a finisher. So that is where my train of thought is from.

If you only have one of two razors to depend on you'll want to be more careful, but if you have enough to play around experiment with it. I don't think there is any doubt that circles cut faster than X strokes. When Lynn began experimenting with them in '09 IIRC, he only used them in bevel setting. Soon after he began using them at the 4k level in sharpening as well ...... followed by X strokes.

Not long after that, continuing to experiment, he moved into some finishing at the 8k level IIRC. Now we are talking a man who probably has honed more razors than the entire population of SRP put together, so take it with a grain of salt. I had the same bicycle (model) that Lance Armstrong won the tour on and I couldn't go over 21 mph.

Kidding aside, you probably won't get a definitive answer so play around with it and report back. An eye loupe before, during, and after would be handy. OTOH, I agree with Bill (pixel) I don't use barber hones to finish either. They were designed for a quick touch up for barbers to use between shaves if the razor needed attention before they brought them to a 'real' hone.

Jimmy,

To clear it up, I used the BH as a finisher. I am currently using it to freshen up after shaves. I'll report back. Right now, I'm trying out all the newly honed razors finishing up with the newly added BH to leather to face. So far, they are all sharper than from the 12K. In the future, I'll add in the CrOx again, but I wanted a more direct experience to compare the difference of hitting the BH after the 12K.

It's all new to me. Love it.

To clarify...are these counter clockwise or clockwise circles North or South of the mid point on the hone?

Originally Posted by Splashone

To clarify...are these counter clockwise or clockwise circles North or South of the mid point on the hone?

I hold the hone in my right palm.

The razor start and the finger side of the hone and faces the base of my palm. I start the razor generally on the hone at the middle of the razor(though I really don't think its relevant as my circles cover the whole edge equally during the circle process)

I use counter-clockwise strokes toward my palm, flip the razor and do clockwise strokes in the direction of my fingers.

Hope that clears it up, Splashone