Thread: Ding near toe... go right to the 1K?

Originally Posted by Utopian

OK, thanks. It looks like you are starting to hit the stabilizer on the back side and have the beginning of a hook. I think Onimaru addressed this several pages back.

I think torquing is one of the hardest things for beginning honers to grasp. You need to do it, but it should not be excessive. You just keep your focus on the pressure being on the edge, even with the lightest stroke, and the spine should just go along for a relatively weightless ride. The spine serves only as an angle guide, with the bevel angle being determined by the angle established by the spine and the edge, but steel only needs to be removed from the bevels to create the edge. That's why I'm saying that you focus your pressure at the edge, where steel needs to be removed, rather than on the spine that is only a guide.

You to not want to exert a lot of rotational pressure (torquing) when you do this. On anything but a wedge, if you do so you run the risk of bending the blade which will have the effect of honing the belly side of the bevel and never making contact with the edge side of the bevel because the edge will be lifted off of the hone.

I hope that is clear.

I would drop down to the 4k or whatever you use before the 8k. Do whatever number of strokes needed to create flat pristinely uniform bevels again. Use the focussed torquing and, as always, fresh tape. I don't think you should not need more than 10 to 20 strokes. After that, change the tape and with light strokes and that same focussed torquing, do no more than 20 8k strokes. Repeat the same with the 12k with maybe only 10 strokes

Re: stabilizer. I'm not hitting the stabilizer anymore. When I first started with this blade and was doing heel forward, I was hitting the stabilizer ever once and a while. I started placing my thumb and index finger on the stabilizer, so that I did not contact the stabilizer further. The marks on the stabilizer are old.

Can you please point out in photos on post 101, where the hook is? I'm not seeing one. The hook that was mentioned before, I dragged the corner of the heel on the side of the stone for a few strokes to try to eliminate that pointed corner.

Should there have been more rounding done?

I will try torquing the blade at 4K to see If I can improve the toe, which seems to me to be the area of concern with multiple facets. Previously, I was trying to lift/lighten the heel, but apparently not being consistent in that technique.

Originally Posted by onimaru55

I don't advise using a different stroke unless its the exact mirror opposite of what you're using that works. If you're leading with the heel at an angle & getting the whole edge, changing to a perpendicular stroke will give you a slightly different contact in places & then the whole edge doesn't get honed evenly.

Good to know. I was using the different orientation to see if the stria is changing and I'm getting to the edge.

Given the toe (and heel) on this blade, which apparently a small warp (and narrower blade at the toe) which stroke is advised (I'm probably going to get several differing opinions)?

Heel forward? X stroke? With a swoop at the end (like the letter J)? Torquing the edge a bit?

No photo in 101 shows a hook. The second photo in 107 suggested a hook, but maybe it's just a shadow.

You do not need to do any excessive rounding to eliminate a hook A few strokes usually is all it takes. If you already did that, then it's probably fine.

4K, two layers of tape, and trying to torque the blade, heel forward, in a J shaped/swooping stroke. I had a hard time getting contact on the toe (markered numerous times), probably only half the time. Heel was fine getting contact. Here is the latest look, at high magnification (a 1mm or less bevel):

Originally Posted by pcm

Good to know. I was using the different orientation to see if the stria is changing and I'm getting to the edge.
It's unnecessary. You can see the polish change in the right light with magnification. I focus more on the edge changing eg chips reducing, & the bevels meeting.
Given the toe (and heel) on this blade, which apparently a small warp (and narrower blade at the toe) which stroke is advised (I'm probably going to get several differing opinions)?

Heel forward? X stroke? With a swoop at the end (like the letter J)? Torquing the edge a bit?

The stroke that works is the one to use, then stay with it. Inking the blade will tell you the ideal stroke.
You can always work on single areas as I already mentioned then even up but use a stroke that works.

Originally Posted by onimaru55

The stroke that works is the one to use, then stay with it.

You know what's annoying? He's right!

That stroke that works is the one to use. Ain't our advice here great?

Though it's not perfect yet, it looks like you have more uniformity in the bevel now. I think you are getting closer and with more practice it will improve more. A change in your stroke to hit the toe properly should be your next goal.

The toe on one side seems to need work.

Not quite sure in what way to change the stroke, however...

sent from my phone.

It might be you. It might be the razor. Keep going back and forth between hone and scope and you will figure it out.

Getting somewhat better, few times I get the whole edge, a few times not. Probably 80% of the time. Did about 10 strokes at 4k with 2 layers...



Thoughts about the edge?

Bevel still has a few stray scratches but the edge looks a lot better. From what I can see on my phone at work I think you're good to go onto the 8k.

Do I need to mention fresh tape?!!