Dulling the edge.

Just wondering why people dull the edge before setting the bevel.
When I first started honing I always dulled the edge. My thinking was that I want to start from ground zero.
Then some one with experience told me that dulling the edge is a waste of metal. I suppose because a dulled edge would require more honing.
Over the last year or so I've stopped dulling the edge and it works fine for me.

I do notice that it seems to be common practice to drag the edge on a glass or a stone.
Is there any benefit to dulling an edge , some thing I'm un aware of ?

:)

I do it on those with hone wear, uneven bevels, old wedges AND problem razors. As I lightly drag it across a glass bottle a few times, I can TPT to be certain it is dull all the way across. As I begin, I can tell immediately if I am getting the complete edge or not. If not, I can tell where to apply more pressure/circles to bring the entire edge back to sharp on the bevel-setter.
Just insurance on some. It truly helps to keep that second trip back from happening. YMMV

I don't dull the edge either nor have I ever seen the point in it. I consider it to be the equivalent to breaking my legs as a first step for training for a marathon.

I don't see on the forum where that is common, I try to stay up on the posts daily,, maybe the few that do mention this method(for lack of a better word) are catching your attention. I don't "dull" a blade first.

When I set a new bevel, I just "work it through" whatever bevel is already there.

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Originally Posted by Utopian

I don't dull the edge either nor have I ever seen the point in it. I consider it to be the equivalent to breaking my legs as a first step for training for a marathon.

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Originally Posted by Hirlau

I don't see on the forum where that is common, I try to stay up on the posts daily,, maybe the few that do mention this method(for lack of a better word) are catching your attention. I don't "dull" a blade first.

When I set a new bevel, I just "work it through" whatever bevel is already there.

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Not necessarily common, Gents. I use it to my benefit at times which, I am sure, is what the OP was seeking?
If some are not using this to their benefit at times, they must not be honing oldies from scratch.
Either that, or they are working way too hard on some.
Again, YMMV

The practice got started when certain members were experimenting a certain hone, not known as a bevel setter. Dulling on glass was to be sure that the entire bevel was set and the honist was not getting false positives from the old bevel.

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Originally Posted by HNSB

The practice got started when certain members were experimenting a certain hone, not known as a bevel setter. Dulling on glass was to be sure that the entire bevel was set and the honist was not getting false positives from the old bevel.

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It was probably ages older than that thread, IMO. BUT what possible benefit could come from dulling a blade and seeing what you can do with it? Dulling a blade which was pocketknife sharp, but would never shave, should hurt nothing.
Reaching an end's-all point of beginning again? It exists.
I truly wonder how many blades were dulled and how much was actually learned in this thread?

http://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...on-2012-a.html

Oh, I wasn't talking about that thread at all... It definitely goes back before that by at least a couple of years.

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Originally Posted by HNSB

Oh, I wasn't talking about that thread at all... It definitely goes back before that by at least a couple of years.

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It's 'old thinking'! :roflmao

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Originally Posted by HNSB

the honist

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You said 'the honist.'

Are we talking just "dulling" an edge or bread knifing?

I follow Utopian and Hirlau. Never dulled one on purpose. The scope and bevel setter should tell you if your edge is new. If that fails, use a Sharpie to see if metal is removed.

I remember it used to be the general advice for coticle honing. Before nani's and shaptons if you didn't want to use a norton the next best choice was a coti. The problem was it was common to get parts of the edge sharp, and so the inexperienced 'honer' didn't know if it was themselves, the razor or the hone. It was a simple solution to a very frustrating problem.

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Originally Posted by Utopian

I don't dull the edge either nor have I ever seen the point in it. I consider it to be the equivalent to breaking my legs as a first step for training for a marathon.

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You're doing that thing again, aren't you, where you exaggerate like crazy. :)

On a stone, it will remove small chips, if the bevels are flat already, they will quickly come together at a straight edge.

It takes seconds or about 10 laps to bring the bevel back, lets not make this a big deal about bringing the edge back or wasting steel ..

A couple of TNT's pretty much does the same as a couple of light strokes on the corner of a stone.. Check the results yourself under magnification

It is an effective fix especially for restoration blades rough uneven edges after they have been subjected to sandpaper or buffers..

I have never seen anyone recommend it for simple honing, other then in some of the old Coti threads, never made much sense for simple honing, but once again, we tend to not differentiate between Honing and Edge Restoration so it creates confusion :(

But for edge restoration it works fast and effectively IME anyway

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Originally Posted by gssixgun

It takes seconds or about 10 laps to bring the bevel back, lets not make this a big deal about bringing the edge back or wasting steel ..

A couple of TNT's pretty much does the same as a couple of light strokes on the corner of a stone.. Check the results yourself under magnification

It is an effective fix especially for restoration blades rough uneven edges after they have been subjected to sandpaper or buffers..

I have never seen anyone recommend it for simple honing, other then in some of the old Coti threads, never made much sense for simple honing, but once again, we tend to not differentiate between Honing and Edge Restoration so it creates confusion :(

But for edge restoration it works fast and effectively IME anyway

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I watched your "Tape vs No Tap" clip yesterday.
Today I wanted to hone my favourite edge, honed only once since new, refreshed numerous times.
Instead of doing a 1 k new bevel as usual I tried the 5k refresh bevel. It worked a treat.
I then hit 6 different Naguras and ended up with an amazing edge without losing hardly any steel.
Thanks for that , from now on I will just refresh bevels on my 5k Chosera. ;)