Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 13
Like Tree5Likes

Thread: leveling the honing bench

  1. #1
    Senior Member azourital's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    israel
    Posts
    133
    Thanked: 14

    Default leveling the honing bench

    just a quick question, due you guys level your honing bench ?
    of course i keep all of my stones flat but i just thought what if the honing bench is not levelled?
    would a tilt even of a few degrees affect anything ? or is it overkill
    just a thought

  2. #2
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Virginia
    Posts
    1,516
    Thanked: 237

    Default

    If the stone is flat, and your razor is flat on the stone, you could hone on the side of a wall, upside down, floating underwater or in space. So, it might make you feel different performing the strokes on an unlevel surface, but has no effect on the honing action itself.

  3. #3
    Senior Member blabbermouth RezDog's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, Canada
    Posts
    14,436
    Thanked: 4827

    Default

    I hone either on the kitchen counter at home or the bathroom counter at work. I have never checked for level at work, at home my counters are level. I cannot imagine being out a little bit would make any difference. If you were out quite a bit you may have trouble with the water running off your homes and dripping down the counter and making. A mess on the floor. In an effort to control slurry loss some people hand hold their hones. I am quite happy on the counter. I like the work height.
    It's not what you know, it's who you take fishing!

  4. #4
    Senior Member dinnermint's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Waukesha, Wisconsin
    Posts
    1,943
    Thanked: 390

    Default

    Absolutely not. I hone on a kitchen table that was at a discount store because of manufacturing defects. A wee warped, just enough to be noticeable. This causes water to pool on the left side of my hones and slightly away from me, I usually keep them watered enough to compensate and the movement of the razor along the stone usually keeps the water well distributed.

  5. #5
    Senior Member azourital's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    israel
    Posts
    133
    Thanked: 14

    Default

    thank you guys, i am always trying to remove as many variables as i can

  6. #6
    Senior Member blabbermouth JimmyHAD's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    32,564
    Thanked: 11042

    Default

    I also hone at the kitchen sink on the counter. Mine is not dead level and what I don't like is the water tends to go to towards the side of the hone facing me. So watching it run up the blade can be annoying. One side it is up on the belly of the blade, and the other side it is harder to see. Anyway, been doing it this way for 8 years and so far so good. Level might be better though ...... couldn't say for sure.
    Be careful how you treat people on your way up, you may meet them again on your way back down.

  7. #7
    Senior Member blabbermouth Geezer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    EauClaire,WI
    Posts
    7,685
    Thanked: 3825
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default

    I place a narrow board across my Kitchen sink and it is not level. FWW I do sometimes raise one end of a stone to cause a bit more abrasion when stroking in that direction. I usually hold the stone on the board or in my hand.
    Have fun!
    ~Richard
    JimmyHAD likes this.

  8. #8
    Senior Member kelbro's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    N. Carolina
    Posts
    1,352
    Thanked: 181

    Default

    Most of my honing is done on my lap in the recliner. Kindasorta level but not really a concern unless I have too much fluid on the hone. Then my towel gets wet

  9. #9
    Tradesman s0litarys0ldier's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Location
    Sault Sainte Marie
    Posts
    1,719
    Thanked: 245

    Default

    I and many others hold the stone in the hand. While not level per say. Honing in the hand can make up for any variance in the stroke. The hone sitting in the hand self levels with the razor. Good feedback to boot. I am just a hobbyist. Something to chew on.
    Tomdraug likes this.

  10. #10
    Senior Member blabbermouth
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Diamond Bar, CA
    Posts
    6,553
    Thanked: 3215

    Default

    I used to hone on a sink bridge, a 4-inch piece of pine, and now hone on a steel table with the stone, on a steelex rubber base, on a plastic tray to catch the water and slurry coming off the stone.

    I purposely shim the tray with a piece of 6mm foam, so the water collects in the front corner, opposite of the stone. This, makes it easy to suck up the water and swarf with a sponge, without having to take the whole thing to the sink and empty it.

    I do use a lot of water, a plastic squirt bottle instead of a spray bottle.

    But, to answer your question, no, perfectly level is not important. What is important is that you are comfortable and you stone is sufficiently high enough off the table or bridge, so your hands are not in contact with the surface. Or that you are contorting yourself, trying to make smooth even strokes, make sure the stone face is at a comfortable height.
    Geezer and Wirm like this.

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •