Thread: How to hold the razor to prevent it from dulling on the hone

ok
that's an idea to try
honing with one hand causes even more possibilities for not staying flat I am afraid ?

Originally Posted by HiFuMi

ok
that's an idea to try
honing with one hand causes even more possibilities for not staying flat I am afraid ?

Give it a try. You might be surprised. You will achieve equilibrium between the forces 'up' on the stone and 'down' on the blade. Or you cut your fingers or wrist

Originally Posted by HiFuMi

but what I also actually wonder is
do you just keep the blade flat or just concentrate slightly on the edge or so ?

Blade stays flat, stroke remains the same. The only thing that should maybe change is pressure. Starting with a little more pressure to set the bevel, then progressively less until it's just the weight of the blade working on the stone.

Are you using magnification, or just going by feel/HHT?

As for honing with one hand, you'll learn to feel when the blade is flat on the hone. The more you do it, the more you can tell by feel where the pressure is focused on the blade. Not that you can't do the same honing with 2 hands. It's just a different path to the same place.

Another question, are you using tape? If you are, change it more often. Tape wears faster than steel, even on a less aggressive stone like a coticule or Welsh Slate. As the tape wears, the edge will be lifted away from the face of the hone. It doesn't take much.

Originally Posted by Marshal

Blade stays flat, stroke remains the same. The only thing that should maybe change is pressure. Starting with a little more pressure to set the bevel, then progressively less until it's just the weight of the blade working on the stone.

Are you using magnification, or just going by feel/HHT?

As for honing with one hand, you'll learn to feel when the blade is flat on the hone. The more you do it, the more you can tell by feel where the pressure is focused on the blade. Not that you can't do the same honing with 2 hands. It's just a different path to the same place.

Another question, are you using tape? If you are, change it more often. Tape wears faster than steel, even on a less aggressive stone like a coticule or Welsh Slate. As the tape wears, the edge will be lifted away from the face of the hone. It doesn't take much.

I do use magnification 20x and 60x but am not experienced enough to judge it right

I use sometimes tape , but on my practice razor I do without.

Originally Posted by HiFuMi

but what I also actually wonder is
do you just keep the blade flat or just concentrate slightly on the edge or so ?

Both. You must keep the blade flat in order to allow the spine to maintain the correct angle, but at the same time you must very slightly torque the blade so that pressure is concentrated on the edge.

Originally Posted by Utopian

Both. You must keep the blade flat in order to allow the spine to maintain the correct angle, but at the same time you must very slightly torque the blade so that pressure is concentrated on the edge.

that is exactly what I was looking for
and what I tried :-)

http://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...ggestions.html this thread has some great pictures. There are several members in the Netherlands that have quite a bit of experience. It is also possible that you are experiencing slurry dulling. I think the solution to keep going and the edge gets refined well enough. I would not spend too much time with the hanging hair test, but concentrate on learning the loupe.

Originally Posted by RezDog

http://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...ggestions.html this thread has some great pictures. There are several members in the Netherlands that have quite a bit of experience. It is also possible that you are experiencing slurry dulling. I think the solution to keep going and the edge gets refined well enough. I would not spend too much time with the hanging hair test, but concentrate on learning the loupe.

I am also thinking that the slurry dulls the edge
so that comes back to sharp later then ?

Yes. There is some debate as to whether or not slurry dulling exists, but it's pretty much irrelevant if you finish on water. That should bring the edge back if it was "lost."

ah , thanks
that is very important to know for me
I will do some test soon and find out