Thread: I finally cut my hones in half! Worked out great!

So there was a thread about a year ago about cutting Norton hones in half with a hacksaw that had caught my interest as I like the idea of narrower hones, and having twice the hones to work with.

Well my grandpa happened to have bought a diamond blade tile cutter about 6 months ago because the price was the same as renting it. This is the model Mastercraft Wet Tile Saw | Canadian Tire He was lucky enough to get the saw for $50

It worked prefectly, no chips and didn't take long at all. The two hones I cut were the Norton 220/1k and 4k/8k.
I cut the 4k/8k directly down the middle, but I cut the 220/1k with a 1/4 inch offset, and I am using the 220 side of the larger half as a lapping stone, I used a hacksaw to cut grooves in it, and it works better then I expected actually, and I did lap it after cutting the grooves on 180 grit paper and then 320.

If you wanted a narrow hone, all you had to do was draw a line down the middle and hone on half of the hone.

Oh well, if you're happy, that's great. After all, now you have twice as many hones.

I do like your conversion of the 220 into a lapper!

Interesting. I considered the same thing for making a lighter weight hone for traveling. I'm curious to learn how your narrow width hones perform.

The reason I like narrow hones is the size and for honing warped and smiling razor. But also I just prefer the size as I have a narrow 12k chinese.

As far as usability goes there's not much difference. I do really like having the lapping stone and twice the 4k and 8k.

I have a razor that is slightly warped. It does seem to strop better on one of my more narrow setups. If that's the case, then it would seem to make sense that a narrower hone would work for the razor as well. Thanks again for the post.

Originally Posted by diyguy

I have a razor that is slightly warped. It does seem to strop better on one of my more narrow setups. If that's the case, then it would seem to make sense that a narrower hone would work for the razor as well.

But it doesn't make sense. The exact same stroke that you need to use to keep the blade on a narrow hone is EXACTLY the same stroke that you can use on a wide hone. If you need the visual aid, draw a line down the center of the hone and hone on your new narrow hone. I guarantee that the same stroke done on a narrow hone can be accomplished on a wide hone.

Making Lapping stone out of 220 is a very good idea. As for narrow stones I'm not on your side. I've heard that they are good with knives, but for razors wide stone is very comfortable. One of the reasons why I don't like eschers, slim piece of stone with which you balance between honing and cutting your finger.

Originally Posted by Zelenbakh

Making Lapping stone out of 220 is a very good idea. As for narrow stones I'm not on your side. I've heard that they are good with knives, but for razors wide stone is very comfortable. One of the reasons why I don't like eschers, slim piece of stone with which you balance between honing and cutting your finger.

Well this is great. First I argue against the narrow hone and now I have to defend it.

There is nothing wrong with a narrow hone. Realize that the Norton and other hones most of us use for razors were not, are not, designed for razors. Any razor hone (Japanese hones excepted) made or cut in the past 150 years was made 2 inches or less. Clearly there was a reason for that and the main reason was that that there was no need for it to be any wider because most of the honing takes place near the edge of the hone anyway. 3 inch wide hones are easier for beginners to learn how to balance the razor flat on the hone, but all honing techniques can be accomplished on a narrower hone. Lynn's circle strokes are the most efficient means of removing metal, but they are just a slight modification from long used diagonal chisel strokes demonstrated in the Maestro Livi videos, and they can be done on any width of stone.

Now, cutting your fingers is another issue. That is your (and on occasion, my) fault, not the hones'.

Well, historical argument is definitely convincing. But still there are personal preferences, and they are for wider stone.

Originally Posted by Zelenbakh

Well, historical argument is definitely convincing. But still there are personal preferences, and they are for wider stone.

If the only girl at the dance is ugly, and you wanna dance with a girl, then you are going to be dancing with an ugly girl.

Preference without a choice is not a preference, it's a lack of options.

The only modern hones available for straight razor honers are tool hones that happen to be 3 inches wide so that is what most modern straight razor honers learn to use so of course that is what they come to prefer.