Thread: Honning/ stropping with a pronounced stabilizer

Wasn't sure where to put this one but, While honing and stroping and doing the X pattern do you let the stabilizer sit on the strop/hone? In the pictures I've seen, that is how they do it but on my razor if I put the stabilizer on the strop/hone it makes the razor uneven. But if I don't do it like that I feel that the heel isn't getting as much contact with the hone/strop as the tip. I have the dovo classic full hollow and I think the stabilizer is more pronounced than other razors. What is the correct way to do this.

One way is to grind down the stabilizer, until the razor sits flat on the stone for the whole X-stroke.

That's sometimes needed on Gold Dollar razors. If you don't do it, you'll get a "hook" in the edge, at the stabilizer. [That's the voice of experience . . . ]

But this is a Dovo, not a Gold Dollar, so the problem shouldn't require re-shaping the stabilizer.

You may be able to set up a straight stroke with the razor angled on the stone. The heel should be leading. If you do that, and the razor is properly ground, you can get full contact between the razor and the hone, _without_ the stabilizer touching the stone (and lifting the blade).

If your razor can be canted on the stone (heel leading), and honed with straight-up-the-hone strokes, then I'd hone it like that. If your stone is too narrow, then you'll have to use X-strokes. In that case, I think you should _not_ let the stabilizer ride up onto the stone.

I now leave the field to those who have more experience . . .

Charles