Thread: Honing “Tricks” or Tips to Get You “Over the Edge”

Originally Posted by Euclid440

So, do you feel you have a repeatable routine, that can produce a consistent edge? If, so you are almost there.

Some suggestions, skip the soap, it is not recommended on Norton’s, just be careful, I have a divot in one of my 8k’s from a drop of soap. You want your stones to cut, not be slick, polish by using light pressure.

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Euclid,

I've heard in other discussions some people put shaving lather on the hone. Do you think this could also damage some synthetic stones?

I have a stain on my Norton 8k which I suspect came from hand soap, but thankfully it's only discolouration, and it's still flat...

Some ideas from a few years ago that might help

http://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...bing-over.html

Thanks, Glenn-That is exactly the thread I remember picking up some of those tips from, and I'm going to reread it now. Aaron

"I've heard in other discussions some people put shaving lather on the hone. Do you think this could also damage some synthetic stones?"

I don’t know, something in the soap caused a reaction with the binder , I had put a drop of liquid dish soap on a wet stone and it began to fizz, I rinsed off the stone and it had eaten a small divot in the stone.

Fortunately, it does not affect the performance of the stone. This happened years ago and I continued to use the stone for many years after. I now use a different 8K stone, for other reasons.

If you were going to try soap on a synthetic stone, I would do so on the side of the stone where it will do no damage.

But really, you don’t need soap on a synthetic, I don’t even slurry synthetics, there is no need. I want my synthetics to cut and if I need more polish I move up in grit. I only use plain water on synthetic stones and Smith’s and water on naturals.

Originally Posted by Euclid440

But really, you don’t need soap on a synthetic, I don’t even slurry synthetics, there is no need. I want my synthetics to cut and if I need more polish I move up in grit. I only use plain water on synthetic stones...

I'll second that. I see no need to slurry up a synthetic, they're fast enough as is. After the bevel is set at 1K the 4 and 8 just fly by so fast you'd end up slowing yourself down with slurry. Same for soap really, even at the finishing stage. I could be wrong, but I just don't think it would benefit on my Norton 8K for example. The one exception to this is barber hones because it is 'true to form' so to speak.

The only synthetic hone I slurry is my King Ice Bear 1200 which is slow, it speeds it up 10 fold and sets a bevel FAST.

Originally Posted by Marshal

I'll second that. I see no need to slurry up a synthetic, they're fast enough as is. After the bevel is set at 1K the 4 and 8 just fly by so fast you'd end up slowing yourself down with slurry. Same for soap really, even at the finishing stage. I could be wrong, but I just don't think it would benefit on my Norton 8K for example. The one exception to this is barber hones because it is 'true to form' so to speak.

Originally Posted by rodb

The only synthetic hone I slurry is my King Ice Bear 1200 which is slow, it speeds it up 10 fold and sets a bevel FAST.

IMO stones on the lower end are sort of the exception to the rule. When most of us bring out our 1Ks it's usually to set a bevel or repair a ding, and I could see creating a slurry on just about any 1K stone to speed up the process, though I've yet to try it myself.

Whatever work for you.

The nice thing about this hobby, is there are no rules, find a method that works for you and perfect it, the goal is to shave.

I know guys that have all kinds of wacky methods, that work very well, I have shaved off of some of those edges and they are keen and comfortable. Slurry, no slurry, tape no tape, paste, no paste… it does not matter.

As Lynn says…Have Fun…