Thread: Shoulder hitting edge of the hone

Photo 1 is where I stop.
It took a lot of slow practice strokes to get to the point where I could hone up to the shoulder without actually hitting it.
In some way it is akin to stropping, the more you do it the better your get at getting right up to the edge.

James, to complete an X-stroke, your razor should be travelling in the direction shown below


Your razor should never be in the position shown in photo2; i.e. the stabilizers should not come into contact with the hone

Originally Posted by Hirlau

Never drink & hone,,,,

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I wouldn't get much honing accomplished.....................

Originally Posted by Maladroit

James, to complete an X-stroke, your razor should be travelling in the direction shown below


Your razor should never be in the position shown in photo2; i.e. the stabilizers should not come into contact with the hone

It would also work better for you if you add some angle to it. From that pic you want the toe higher. This will kick the edge your trying to sharpen out and keep the stabilizer back off the hone.

For me where a blade has enough wear that you are honing into the stabilizer I would correct the heel to remove some of the stabilizer and reveal the blade again letting me hone all the way to the heel without hitting the stabilizer. OZ did a thread on it but cant remember the name of it.

You should be able to put the razor on the hone in any position and have the spine and bevel completely touching the hone.

You can hone it with the stabilizer off the hone and not grind it, but you run the risk of hitting the stabilizer and messing up your edge. It makes it hard to do circles.

Lower the stabilizer as described.

You also should hone with the heel about a half inch forward of the toe and use a rolling x stroke to reach the toe and heel.

If you use the 90 degree straight stroke you run the risk of honing a frown, missing the heel and toe and causing a heel spur. I shave with all the edge, using the heel and toe all the time.

A large part of honing is identifying problems and figuring out how to resolve them, because 100 year old razors are never straight and without defects. When your blade was new and full width, the stabilizer probably cleared the stone.