Thread: A reason for narrow hones and strops?

I think this is the design in mention, it's raison d'etre wel articulated in ll. 29-39.
Gets one thinking.

X

Originally Posted by randydance062449

If I had to do it all over again I would select hones that were 1.25 inches wide. In fact, I just may cut my Nortons right down the middle with a metal cutting band saw.

Even your low-grit hones for creating the bevel?

Just curious.

Seems to be a common thought at the time and after because all paddle strops seems to have a "convex" or rounded sectional profile. I suppose this creates sigle point contact on the razors edge to a degree. This I suppose allows for razor edge profiles better than a flat sectional profile.
Nothings new just reinvented it seems Oh yeh, they all seem to be 1 1/4" or a bit more in width too.

PuFF

Facinating discussion, gentlemen. Confirms some things I have found more or less accidentally recently. As with the great spirit of this thread, these are IMHO (especially since I'm olnly a few months old in the str8 family).

My best, most predictable and repeatable stropping results have been on a very narrow old pasteless loom strop (I think that's what it is) that is only about 1.25 wide and about 11" long. For me it seems that the x-pattern gives me a better feel for the razor/strop and razor/stone contact, allowing me better control with better contact. It also covers the full length of the blade better. I'm sure there are other variables, but I consistently had more trouble getting/keeping the toe of the blade sharp when I was stropping x-less on a wide hanging strop. Variables aside, that is just to say that the narrow surface + x-pattern can put a great edge on a razor, even for a relative newbie. Even when I occassionaly use a wider strop, I'm x-ing more now and have much less of the dull-toe problems I consistently had before.

On the hone front, I had an old Hess razor with broken scales and a severe frown that a barber gave me when I bought his hones and text book. Wanting something to practice with on my barber hone, I took it to 1k/2k ceramic stones to get the frown out first. Then I took it to the small barber hones. Didn't really expect to make it shave as it was broken out of the scales. Just did it to get a feel for the hones without over-analysing the procedural details. In pretty short order it seemed pretty good and passed the thumbnail test. So I stropped it, first on a home-made paddle strop with buffing compound, finishing it with x's on a hanging, unpasted Illinois 127. WOW! Sharpest razor in my small collection! HHT never dropped so cleanly, heel to toe! So I took my other small tribe of razors back to the barber hones with an x-pattern, and just "feeling it". Same stroppign and in short order (minutes, not days!) I had the same results on those. The x-pattern and feeling the edge/spine contact really makes a difference for me. (BTW, I have since mounted that Hess in home-made scales and have great shaves with it!). I've been stropping my daily shavers on the little loom strop with great results every day with much less time/effort than I was putting into non-X'd wider strops.

-- Dale

As a newb, I like the feel of holding a narrow hone because my hands aren't very good and I can watch the edge better. I feel more certain the distribution from heel to toe is even as well, as opposed to worry I may be lifting the heel a bit. I like having the weight from the toe side over the end as I start for that reason.
I won't bother with another higher-grit stone, because after 1000/4000/6000/8000 I am gonna finish on the tiny mystery barber hone.

On "banana" razors I still use the X pattern but with a rolling motion. However, as soon as I can I use a narrow hone.

Originally Posted by Bruno

Hi Randy, does that mean that you don't use the rolling hone method?

I recently honed those Joseph Rodgers 6/8 wedges for Nick that were as curved as a banana.
They honed up excellent on the Norton by rolling the edge from heel to toe with each pass.

In fact, the blade never left the surface of the stone. I never drew the heel across the edge of the stone because the rolling motion did not require it.

Since you are way more experienced than I am, I figured you hone differently, or not?

Originally Posted by honedright

You guys might find it interesting to do a search under Google patents with the key words "razor" "strop" and "convex."

Apparently a strop with a convex shape had some desireable property. If you read the description of the invention, you get some insight from the inventor as to why.


Scott

I have some hones and paddle strops that are convex. I have also used a tube wrapped in sandpaper with the same effect. What I had to watch out for was the amount of pressure I used. They work well but slower.

Originally Posted by dylandog

Even your low-grit hones for creating the bevel?

Just curious.

Yes. The narrow size is simply easier to use and can accomadate the different blade shapes. However, this is just my personal preference. X has a method that works just as well. There is more than one way to hone a razor! Try them all. It is fun.

Very good thread guys!