Thread: Honing process = taper?

So I am the recipient of a new copy of Lynn's DVD, and after watching the thing straight through (pun! ha!) I have a question on hone technique.

It seems to me that with a honing motion like so:

---------------------
| B
| L
| A ---> B
| D----> L
| E----> A
---------D----------
-------> E

(the artwork above attempts to illustrate a hone with a blade moving at a diagonal.)

The toe of the blade gets a lot more "hone exposure," if you will, than the heel, since at the end of a motion 30-50% of the heel end of the blade is hanging off the stone. Does this not lead to and eventually tapered razor with uneven hone wear?

If so, how does one compensate for that? If not, why not?

This question has been hotly debated at times. Some guys agree with you, but I'm in the camp that says no, it won't.

Since the heel of the razor is nearer your hand, which along with the scales adds extra weight, I think the toe needs more time on the hone to stay even with the heel. In other words, more pressure on the heel = more metal removed, and more time on the stone for the toe = same amount of metal removed.

There are strokes you can do where the entire blade spends the same amount of time on the hone. But I don't worry about it.

The first few razors I honed took more strokes than I expect I would put on the razor in 50 years of normal use, and they didn't show any signs of developing frowns or tapers.

Just my two cents,
Josh

I use an x pattern exclusively. The other thing to consider is that I find, or think I find, that the edge is very sharp and fragile towards the tip and very sharp but sturdy towards the heel. I use both ends for varied work around the face, depending on the courseness of the beard in that area. Around my nose I like fine, sharp and fragile so I use the tip. For my chin I like sharp and sturdy, so I use the heel, but then I like to finish the chin with the tip to get super close on the chin.

My finishing work, on the water only pass, is predominately done with the tip, since the courser hairs are now gone.

The variances in tip and heel are very minor though.