Thread: The wrong question with no right answer; stroke count.

I will try toning down my numbers I guess then. I have only recently began increasing laps to see if I have better results. If overhoning is as difficult as it was made to seem; I figured why not do extra laps. This is why I asked what are some ballpark numbers for everyone honing. However limited in scope numbers may be I guess I'm looking for some guidance that is not in the pyramid format.
My limited experience so far has been after the bevel set each blade follows a pretty similar routine in honing. I have yet to sharpen a stainless blade though and will be interested to see how that changes things. I don't obey a set system, but get to a certain number then do some tests and take it from there. I'm super curious though can you overhone at the sharpening stage or is it only at the point of polishing and up?

Originally Posted by aa1192

I don't obey a set system, but get to a certain number then do some tests and take it from there. I'm super curious though can you overhone at the sharpening stage or is it only at the point of polishing and up?

There you go just feel your way through best bet always


The first indication of pushing the edge to far is most likely going to be a diminishing count in the number of shaves from that edge.. Unless you use excessive pressure or laps overhoning is a small problem, it just isn't that easy.. Look for a drop in Comfort and a drop in Longevity to tell you to back off

Your amount of light pressure and Criswilson's amount of light pressure might be the same difference between my no pressure and my light pressure :<0) He may be honing American steel and your honing Sheffield. I am honing German. How many differences do you see here ?
I would ask you to try this. When you go up to the next grit do you feel the blade start to glide across the stone with less feedback ? In other words how long before it starts to feel smoother. Does it feel smooth all the way across the blade on the lap ? Start trying to feel it and you can forget counting. Now, I defer to sixgun's expertise, he has been honing a lot longer than I have. I am just sharing how I got past counting and pyramids. Good ways to get started but my confidence level went up 10 fold when I began to feel what was going on. This means on the hone and then on the face.

And criswilson does not do enough laps on the linen or the final strop :<0) If he tripled those last 2 steps I bet he could feel the difference. If not he hasn't shaved enough with a straight yet to tell. No offense cris , just my opinion based on my experience again!

Originally Posted by 10Pups

I would ask you to try this. When you go up to the next grit do you feel the blade start to glide across the stone with less feedback ? In other words how long before it starts to feel smoother. Does it feel smooth all the way across the blade on the lap ? Start trying to feel it and you can forget counting. Now, I defer to sixgun's expertise, he has been honing a lot longer than I have.

Defer nutin brother that is exactly what I am trying to say also, we are preaching from the same book