Thread: Hone of the Day

Dont bite to these numbers 20 strokes - 40 strokes .Every blade and situation need diferent strokes .
Dont count them , just make them count

Dont bite to these numbers 20 strokes - 40 strokes .Every blade and situation need diferent strokes .
Dont count them , just make them count

Originally Posted by Damo

Just a trouble shooting question here for you guys, I noticed this morning that when I circle stroke my muscles tend to like going the same way in both directions ie clockwise circles going up and down the hone. Is that an issue?

My theory on it,,, note the specific use of that word as there is no proof other then your own face

1. I don't use circles near as often as I once did, I use them mostly on restoration edges
2. I always turn the circle INTO the edge rather then away from the edge, it cuts better that way for me
3. I always Always follow circles with either X-strokes and/or Japanese swooping strokes to set the stria the way I want into the edge
4. The circles create odd stria, so I want those completely gone from the bevel before I move from the 1k


That is what gives me the most comfortable edges...

Is the 'odd stria' a cosmetic issue (or preference based on looks) or an edge issue? Or is this even a reasonable question?

Originally Posted by WW243

Is the 'odd stria' a cosmetic issue (or preference based on looks) or an edge issue? Or is this even a reasonable question?

Lots of different opinions there

Myself I like the Stria looking a certain way and going in a specific direction before the final finisher, I feel it actually helps the smoothness of the edge because it facilitates a slicing action to the edge, it also lines up with the stropping action

OR it could all be in my imagination

Today's work

Reset the bevel that was set on 2 layers of tape originally, with my Frictionite coarse side. I then proceeded to a dilucot without a coticule slurry. I used bbw instead and the edge seems like it will shave comfortably but isn't the sharpest. More work is needed. I'll let you guys know how the shave went.

The shave went pretty bad, tugging and not sharp enough. Clearly dilucot with bbw slurry isn't as easy as it looks. Added a layer of tape so I've got 1 layer now instead of 3. Will be much easier to drop back down to no layers once I get a coticule slurry stone.

Will report back tomorrow.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Lots of different opinions there

Myself I like the Stria looking a certain way and going in a specific direction before the final finisher, I feel it actually helps the smoothness of the edge because it facilitates a slicing action to the edge, it also lines up with the stropping action

OR it could all be in my imagination

I would not have mentioned it, but an unnamed individual gave me a public flogging for having squirrelly stria...
So it got me thinking about stria and your post brought back the shame of having crap stria...
To continue, it seems that if the razor moves in any way but perpendicular to the hone, you will have slanty stria. In an X stroke the blade moves across the hone, hence the X shape. If you are moving down and across the hone, it seems the stria have to slant...in other words, if you have a hone wider than the cutting edge of the razor and move the razor straight down and back, the stria should be perpendicular to the spine. If you do anything else, I would guess 'sparklies?' Or does the spine stay perpendicular to the hone during an X? I don't see how but then I don't see a lot of things.
And doing any circles or swoops would seem to increase the likelihood of cross hatched stria or a reverse hyperbolic paraboloid?
I am visualizing rather than looking with a microscope which I don't have, thankfully.
Do you see what I'm saying?

Just a simple touch up today. Naniwa speciality 10k followed by Gokumyo 20k. This Gotta is always a pleasure to hone. If all razors honed like this there would be no need for pro honers. It was one of the first razors I set a bevel on and from start to finish took no more than 15 mins.

Oh and on the strops she sings like a canary and shaves like a dream

Hang on, you never said anything about perpendicular stria, you said 'going in a specific direction.'

Originally Posted by WW243

Is the 'odd stria' a cosmetic issue (or preference based on looks) or an edge issue? Or is this even a reasonable question?

I like circles to get work done quicker. I like to see stria for feedback with my sight, I can see the depth getting shallower with each hone used.
Any question is reasonable.
Glenn spoke earlier about a haze on his finished blade. I see that alot with a coticule and circles.
Bright shiny stria I see with x-strokes. I see more deep stria with synthetics. Thus my theory but that goes along with what Glenn is saying.
What does your face say?

The stria should match your stroke.
x-stroke gives you a 45 degree stria.
Perpendicular stroke give you stria that is the same direction as the stroke. Simple.
When I swoop or Nike swish at the end of the stroke I get that kind of looking stria at the tip.