Use of magic marker honing

Ok.. Read posts about magic markers and bevel setting I'm confused .. What I get is if I mark the edge and run three laps up and down a dry hone and all the marker is gone the bevel is set ?? And on the other hand people explain it just shows whether or not the hone is making even contact with the hone..from what I have experienced it just shows me that certain parts of the edge r hitting the hone..I have dulled blades on glass marked the edge and done three laps on the hone bevel isn't set.. ??? So please explain exactly what it does.. I use the tnt to bevel check

I use it to see that the stroke I'm using on a particular razor is making contact from heel to point. Years ago I used it routinely but as I gained skill I only use it in certain cases now. Either a blade profile I'm unsure of, or a razor that doesn't seem to be making progress. In those cases I use it exactly as I did before, to see if I'm using an effective stroke. Once I prove that I immediately wipe the rest of the ink off and continue honing. IOW, I don't wait until the razor is sharp to wipe the excess ink off. I too use a TNT to gauge the bevel at different stages. Then go to the TPT and various hair cutting schemes I won't name here.

+1. I dont have much use for it now as i can read the scratch patterns on the blade with a loupe. after a few strokes, i can see where its hitting or not and will adjust my stroke add tape if needed etc.

Ok.. Ty guys thought I was going nuts reading on here so many different things ... I use it the way u guys do.. I'm still learning the scratch patterns but think I have them down... One razor honing problem has me second guessing confidence and things I know and have seen and been taught already..

I used it a lot when I was learning as a visual aid, it is especially useful on blades with smiles or warps to visually see where the problems are with your stroke and or blade.

It's not a sharpness test . It's just a way of seeing which stroke allows full contact with the bevel on the stone.

also I find as above for stroke checks, but if you mark the very cutting edge as well as the bevel, when the bevel is not set you can see the black line between the shinning bevels with a loop easier,
once you can't see any marker I go to the TNT for & TPT
just my findings

I have many rescued razors so I tend to use it most of the time to assure the bevel on a used razor is well set. And, Use a dye type of marker which leaves a thin coating rather than a paint.
~Richard

Marker will not tell you when the bevel is set. It can tell you if you are honing all the way to the edge.

The problem with most novice honers is they can produce a flat bevel but that flat bevel does not reach the edge, the bevel is not set.

The only way to verify if the bevels are meeting at the edge, is to test the edge, TPT (this takes time to learn) Hair test, not a valid test because it does not test the whole bevel and everyone’s hair is different. Look at the edge, not the bevel. This is the easiest, non-destructive, most conclusive test.

Just look at the edge, straight down with magnification and light. If you see any shiny spots on the edge the bevels are not meeting completely, the bevel is not set.

If the bevels are not meeting, paint the bevel at the edge by running a marker on the edge from heel to toe (ink will also paint a 1/16 of an inch on both sides of the bevel.

Hone and ensure the hone is reaching the edge by looking to see if all ink is removed. Continue until no shinny spots are visible on the edge.
Once no shinny spots are visible, do 10 more weight of blade laps to begin polishing the bevel.

Now as you move up in progression, you can paint the bevel with ink. Ink will fill the bottom of the stria groove as well as the top of the land. When the ink is removed, the previous grit’s stria has been removed and the honer can progress to the next higher grit stone.

The trick is to ensure the bevel is set, (bevels are meeting… completely) at the edge.

You cannot tell if the bevels are meeting by looking at the bevels, you must look or feel the edge.

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Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

....and various hair cutting schemes I won't name here.

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Lmao! :rofl2: I don't blame you :tu

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Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

...I use it to see that the stroke I'm using on a particular razor is making contact from heel to point...

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I do the same thing. I have one razor (a De Pews) that has a warped blade (i.e. bent) and also when I first got it an uneven bevel. The magic marker (we call them a 'Texta' here) allowed me to see the uneven bevel really easily and also decide on how to tackle the warped blade.

To hone this razor now (I have the uneven bevel fixed) I do three strokes on one side to every one stroke on the other. My reasoning for this is that as one side does lay flat on the hone all of the side makes contact for the full length of the stroke. However, the other side needs a rocking motion, as it doesn't lay flat.

As I use the rocking motion, the whole length of the blade doesn't make contact for all the length of the stroke on the hone; hence the 3:1 ratio.

I was just wondering about this myself tonight. I was sharpening a knife and was having trouble seeing the bevel under magnification. I remembered I had a bottle of Dykem blue on my bench that I used for lay out on a project involving sheet metal. I used the Dykem on the edge to ensure I was getting my bevel to the edge. Once I had removed all the Dykem from the bevel I applied another coat and hit it again. It really brought out a few chips and scratches that I missed. I was quite pleased with the end result, and it took the guesswork out of what part of the blade needed more attention.

I use a scope, no need for markers or loupes. The bevel isn't set until it's set, there are no gimmicks out there, it takes practice and feel and you don't get the latter without lots of the former.

Frank