Thread: Pressure!

Originally Posted by eKretz

Yes, no kidding! That's exactly what I said. Using a little pressure first causes the razor to flex, removing material behind the edge. Switching to lighter pressure for finishing then concentrates the work being done at the apex.

Sorry I understood the below quote meant you used pressure when finishing"
"I much prefer using a small amount of pressure when finishing with certain stones so as to get the same sort of effect that taping the spine gives - the work is concentrated at the apex this way and the job is done faster and it gives really great edges. "

The wide stone used as a narrow hone works fine. It just takes some gymnastics to work. You just have to lift the toe slightly to avoid contact.

Originally Posted by onimaru55

Sorry I understood the below quote meant you used pressure when finishing"
"I much prefer using a small amount of pressure when finishing with certain stones so as to get the same sort of effect that taping the spine gives - the work is concentrated at the apex this way and the job is done faster and it gives really great edges. "

The wide stone used as a narrow hone works fine. It just takes some gymnastics to work. You just have to lift the toe slightly to avoid contact.

Yes it did mean I used pressure when finishing - before backing off at the very end. Considering that I wrote "IMO some pressure is okay under certain conditions on higher grit stones but no more than the oft-mentioned "eraser" level pressure, and it needs to be reduced to "weight of the razor" pressure before moving on in a progression or calling the edge finished." immediately prior to your quoted text I figured this would be easy to understand. That's the only way the work would be concentrated at the apex. My bad for not being more clear. My thoughts didn't translate well to my typing I guess. I will edit my earlier post.

Any faults a razor has, unless it's condition is irreversible, it's better to use your bevel setter to take care of it, instead of trying to find ways to save time. Anyone can do as he pleases of course, but I wouldn't use it as an advice, especially to someone with less experience.
And as far as the pressure goes, it's very important to have in mind that the razor is not stiff enough, not to warp even a micrometer from tip to toe. Unless you are using some custom device for each of your razors that can apply uniform pressure on every millimeter of the blade, it's certain that some parts of it will touch the stone more than others, resulting in uneven wear. You can see it on the spine or the edge.
The easiest way to find that out is with narrow razors like 2-3/8" ones. The uneven hone wear will appear very soon, but the more important thing for experience is, you will also feel it on your hand.
Yes, I know that pressure can be used, and there are a few cases that I also use it and then make sure there are no consequences on the razor because of it, but for a gentleman who just started to hone and has a question, it's better to start with the basics.

Sorry Vasilis my friend, again we disagree. Any beginner must eventually advance, lest he remain a beginner forever. If he is asking for the information, why should he not get it. Of course you are correct regarding correcting geometry issues on the coarser stone... If you look back on page 1 in my first reply you will see this is exactly what I said in my very first post.