Thread: Alternatives to stone hones?

Originally Posted by earcutter

With respect to film, I know many sing its virtues. I personally found it incredibly frustrating. The main reason I had issues with film was pressure. When you wish to apply pressure, you run the risk of the film moving and or tearing.
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+1

For the upper end of honing I found no issues with it with easy razors.. I was not at all impressed with the results on smiling Sheffield razors..

I feel it falls into that old axiom of honing, "Honing is pretty easy, right up until it isn't"


Edit: To be perfectly honest, maybe I wasn't willing to invest the time to figure out a way to work around problem razors using the film, when a Chosera 1k does it with ease..

Originally Posted by gssixgun

+1

For the upper end of honing I found no issues with it with easy razors.. I was not at all impressed with the results on smiling Sheffield razors..

I feel it falls into that old axiom of honing, "Honing is pretty easy, right up until it isn't"


Edit: To be perfectly honest, maybe I wasn't willing to invest the time to figure out a way to work around problem razors using the film, when a Chosera 1k does it with ease..

You make due with what you have and what you can afford. Doesn't mean riding your bike to the grocery store to pick up a weeks worth of food for a family of four is a good idea lol - though, you know, people do it. It's whatever .

Thank you guys. I guess its a preferance thing. I could probubly swing a norton 4k/8k off the web on a budget I was considering the film because it is realy cheap compared to stones.

Film will stick well to very flat surface, lap a float glass 3 x12 tile, (Lowes) with a diamond plate, a few laps will get film to stick very well.
Yea, one could do a full film progression and even corrections, but why? Make your life easier…

What film does do well, is get to a straight keen edge quickly and provide a very nice finished edge at 1um and .03 um. I prefer the edge off 1um over a sheet of copy paper, after finishing on 1um. It is a keen comfortable edge.

AO film’s aggressive and even cutting abilities are great for hard steel razors. You can hone 10-20 razors on a single piece of film and get 3 pieces from a full sheet, (use a paper cutter to cut your film).

It is not so much about cost, it’s just another tool… and a good one.

I concidered it as well at some point but in order for it to be economical you would have to order a few of each at a time, otherwise you make one mistake and you have to pay for new lapping film and shipping again. So you're basicly spending some money either way. Then there is a learning curve and you will probably have spend the same amount on lapping film by the time you've got the hang of it as you would have on a nice set of stones.

Film is easy and can create a very keen edge as was said. It creates a very harsh edge though IMO. I used it extensively in the past, even with the paper under it, soap etc. But it is fragile and in the process of wearing down, what grit is it halfway through? 1 um. .5 um? Who knows? And I find hones to be much more versatile, you cant do A LOT of things with film. Pressure has to be very light always or you tear it. And smilers etc. But its good for breadknifed, perfectly flat and straight razors. I havent seen too many of them though! LOL.

Originally Posted by bill3152

Film is easy and can create a very keen edge as was said. It creates a very harsh edge though IMO. I used it extensively in the past, even with the paper under it, soap etc. But it is fragile and in the process of wearing down, what grit is it halfway through? 1 um. .5 um? Who knows? And I find hones to be much more versatile, you cant do A LOT of things with film. Pressure has to be very light always or you tear it. And smilers etc. But its good for breadknifed, perfectly flat and straight razors. I havent seen too many of them though! LOL.

Hmm I've not encountered issues with smiling edges. I will agree with the 1um with paper, much nicer edge, I don't go to .5 or .3.

I've actually played with skipping the first round of 1um and go straight from 3um to 1um with paper and it does well also.

Everyone has their preferences and that is what makes this hobby go around, and what makes it able to appeal to many different people.

The way I see it, the best, and most cost effective way to use lapping film is as a finisher. I can't think of anything that can replace a good bevel setting stone, and, for the intermediate grits, stones again are the best choice. But as a finisher, it's great, doesn't cost, and you can use the same piece many times, like fine sandpaper; it might lose cutting power, but it's still fine.