Thread: Can anyone explain the reason behind the X strokes?

Basically the reason for the x stroke is that it ensures that the entire length of the blade makes contact with the blade. The best stroke is the rolling x stroke to make this happen. It is accomplished by imagining that your hone, no matter how wide it is in reality, is only 1 inch wide. That one inch strip along the edge of the hone should be where you should be focussing on contacting with the blade. As the x stroke progresses, the region of the blade making contact with the hone transfers progressively along the edge from the heel to the toe.