Thread: Hone of the Day

Well, I don't look at the stria beyond the first look at a new to me razor. From there it is all feel on the hones. I have a loupe but seldom, if ever, use it anymore.
When I am finished with the finisher, I ever so lightly touch the edge with my thumb pad and if it sticks all the way along the edge...time to strop and shave. I'm probably missing out on some of the fun. I once thought about a digital microscope but then the $$$ went elsewhere. I like seeing magnified pics of the honing progression a lot though, if someone else posts them.

Yep I have a very simple rule, I never go straight up and down the Hone, Strop, or Face, with a SR everything is done at a slant or pattern..

Again this seems to give the most comfortable edge for me..

As to a haze finish that is something that is also done with a slanting stroke, using Slurry and Dilution to achieve that finish not a change in pattern


ps: I love that "Nike Swish" hehehe that is about exactly what it looks like

Originally Posted by WW243

Well, I don't look at the stria beyond the first look at a new to me razor. From there it is all feel on the hones. I have a loupe but seldom, if ever, use it anymore.
When I am finished with the finisher, I ever so lightly touch the edge with my thumb pad and if it sticks all the way along the edge...time to strop and shave. I'm probably missing out on some of the fun. I once thought about a digital microscope but then the $$$ went elsewhere. I like seeing magnified pics of the honing progression a lot though, if someone else posts them.

How do you decide when to move to the next hone if you dont test where the edge is ?
I test all through my honing. I try to involve as many of my senses as possible. Sound, hone feel, TPT, looking at the stria.
I sometimes do an extra 50 light strokes on my 1K to refine the edge still using all senses. ultimately I use TPT to decide when to move to the next hone. Granted I have tons of micro slices in one spot on my left thumb.

I'm a bit of a tester too - different ones for different stages in the honing progression but I certainly test the edge to know when to move along.

Having said that I can see how, after doing it for a while, you might come up with a "number of strokes" rule especially in the moderate to high grit stages. Not so much on the bevel set IME, but perhaps even there if you are careful and methodical.

But by far the easiest way is just test I reckon.

This is a great thread by the way!

James.

I actually forgot, I do test...hand hair...it has to cut at 1K and just get better up through 20K. I don't count strokes....funny thing is, about every time when I test, it passes...my crude method....I like the more sophisticated methods of the modern cutlers...even if I don't follow protocol. Agreed, cool thread...now back to HOTD.

Hone of the Day I believe its an Old Arkansas White
Set the bevel on Norton 1K and only had a BBW combo coti at the time.
That isnt the best set up for Carbon-135 but I muddled through.
Thanks to Utopian & Randydance to showing me the frown I didnt know it had, plus they put in a ton of work teaching me to fix it.
WW243 Stria is for you.

Stria is my life now, thanks ultrasoundguy2003.
Does your bevel ebb and flow? Did you hone up into the shoulder?
Photos can be misleading.

Originally Posted by WW243

Stria is my life now, thanks ultrasoundguy2003.
Does your bevel ebb and flow? Did you hone up into the shoulder?
Photos can be misleading.

Yes my bevel does all that.
I bought it brand new and took it to a meet to show off. Randydance Placed it on a true flat and a frown was shining through.
That embarrassed me but the guys then took to showing and making me fix it proper.
It now is a straight razor, ugly bevel and all. I dont want to remove more steel just to have a pretty bevel. Frances 6/8ths sure is smaller than Germanys measurement. The haze is my old set-up. the stria is from my hone shown. I showed my trying to Nike swish on the toe.
Very hard steel. Your eyes are good. I pushed too hard and you can see where I went past the base bevel.
And removing the steel on a diamond plate did that to the shoulder, price I paid to fix and learn from the good guys.
Hone of the day shows our wins and learning, If I show my shortcomings so that others can go to school on me, that's what teaching is about. Collectively we all will get better, stria and all.

Ok, I give up. What is the Nike swish stroke?
I might be doing it...but maybe not.
I know what a swish is...an old term I think. I know what Nikes are. Is a NS the same thing as a heel forward half circle?

I don't do it but the nike swish is a long curve with a little flick the other way at the end, right? So I'd guess that's what the stroke would be like.

Not sure why you'd flick at the end of the stroke to be honest, unless it's to hit the toe but I do that with a rolling stroke.

Anyway, each to their own and if it works it works. As they say, just do it.....

James.