Thread: I'm a simple honer

Zip,

Nothing wrong with simple, I very rarely use my 1K unless the edge has chips or there is geometry issues I just start at the 4K and then 8K and JNAT finish and strop, I have set the bevel on a finisher a few times with a muddy slurry then did a few slurry refreshes and the edge was fine enough to shave off of for me but I decided I did not want to wear down an expensive JNAT is that's even possible.

Simple can mean, not overdoing it on the hones, and that can apply to 1k stones. They take away a lot of steel, and if you believe that we should really be satisfied that the bevel on a razor need only be done once, the method you describe can be economical on time and your razor. I also of late have taken edges that were maintained on high grit synthetics, to edges from my jnats, so it would be overdoing it to re set the bevel on a 1k, for the purposes described. As always, less pressure is a good thing.

Originally Posted by ZipZop

I guess the simplest gentleman honer I know of only has a Barber Hone and a Strop. That's pretty simple. But it works for him... so he tells me.

It works just fine. All I had was a strop and two barber hones for the first 5 years and the two hones were redundant. I still have 7 razors that regularly are used and have continued to be maintained with only a barber hone for 15 years. Honing didn't get complicated, and fun, till I found SRP.

Originally Posted by Utopian

It works just fine. All I had was a strop and two barber hones for the first 5 years and the two hones were redundant. I still have 7 razors that regularly are used and have continued to be maintained with only a barber hone for 15 years. Honing didn't get complicated, and fun, till I found SRP.

yeah, dont fix it if it aint broke!

Speaking of the all important task of bevel setting! is there any problem doing this with a 1K diamond plate?

Originally Posted by CamMorris

Speaking of the all important task of bevel setting! is there any problem doing this with a 1K diamond plate?

There CAN be. The diamond plate can leave deeper scratches that translate to deeper teeth in the edge. This can be reduced by finishing on the plate with progressively lighter strokes and then more time on the next hone in the progression. However, there is a belief that it might lead to a more compromised edge. I have not explored that enough to formulate much of an opinion but I have doubts, as long as it is done right.

Only problem I could see is making the task longer than it needs to be since you'll be working those deep stria out with the next hone. Since 1K hones that don't cause that problem are relatively cheap, and not particularly slow, the question then is why use the diamond plate?

Originally Posted by Marshal

Only problem I could see is making the task longer than it needs to be since you'll be working those deep stria out with the next hone. Since 1K hones that don't cause that problem are relatively cheap, and not particularly slow, the question then is why use the diamond plate?

its what I have on hand at the moment, I also have an old King 1k/6k waterstone, maybe a better choice? still trying to decide what to order, looking at the shapton kuromaku line or the Naniwa, decisions decisions!
I did order the 3" red latigo strop from SRD, thanks for the tip Marshal!

The King 1/6 may not be 'ideal' but many here set their bevels with a King 1K without issue. Kinda falls into the same category a Norton 1K does. Not perfect, but gets the job done well enough.

The King 1k actually works quite well

I actually did many of my old honing vids using that hone specifically so that people would understand that a $30 hone works very well..
In many ways it is a really good bevel setter since it cuts very shallow stria and leaves a smooth bevel behind
It is VERY thirsty, and on the slower side of the bevel setting curve..

Using a Diamond plate actually, creates more issues than it solves,, There are tricks to using them for Repairs but as a bevel setter I would recommend nearly anything else over it.. Trust me here, if there were a faster way of setting bevels those of us that hone professionally would be using it everyday