Honing the heel and the tip

While my usual shavers have been out with Utopian, I've been spending some quality time with razors I haven't used in ages. I have also been purchasing Torrey's as gifts for some friends.

On one Torrey in particular, that needed restoration, I started at 1k and continued until it shaved hair on my arm. Under the loupe I could see the 1k striations in the blade but the 1k striations faded away at the heel and the tip. Out of laziness I continued to 3k then to 8 k, stropped, and shaved. It shaved as well as any other I have honed...However...The tip and heel remained unhoned in the loupe and I could feel it in the shave when I tried to use those parts of the blade.

I hone with circles until striations from previous stone are gone, then with x stroke until circular marks are gone, on a freshly flattened hone. It makes sense for those parts of the edge to not get honed much due to the x stroke: the heel and tip don't see much time on the hone.

So what is up with my technique? Any suggestions on how to make sure those parts of the blade get honed? Any particular way to use the hone?

I recently realized that you must make sure the bevel is set and 1k striations need to look uniform from heel to toe before moving up the progression. Close is not close enough.

I now adjust my stroke to adapt for the razor's quirks- if there is a little toe wear you can roll your x stroke to keep contact with the hone. Same with the heel, although watch out you don't hit the stabilizer.

Slow down and make sure the blade is making contact with the hone.

I am sure others with way more experience than I will be along to help you good luck and let us know your progress!

One trick that I've used is the 'Sharpie', marking pen, inking of the edge. Using indelible ink you can see exactly were you've honed.


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Originally Posted by maxpamjohn1

One trick that I've used is the 'Sharpie', marking pen, inking of the edge. Using indelible ink you can see exactly were you've honed.


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D'oh! YES! I should have mentioned that too :) very helpful and does reveal where the blade is not contacting during your stroke.

I'll try the roll on my x strokes. Thanks!

My strokes start with the heel forward, blade canted at something close to a 45 degree angle. Then I roll the blade through the stroke, and end with the last 1/3 of the razor toward the toe on the hone. Kind of looks like a windshield wiper. This naturally focuses pressure at the heel during the start of the stroke, and rolls pressure along the blade ending with focus at the toe. The motion kinda makes you roll your stroke.

The rolling x-stroke and sharpie will make a huge improvement on that blade. When I learned the rolling x-stroke my edges improved dramatically. It's rather frustrating getting a great edge on most of the blade, but then realizing the heal and toe are rather dull.

That is common, but the X stroke, correctly done should get both the heel and toe honed properly.

Most folks using the X stroke, do not keep the heel on the stone long enough to do any good, using too aggressive an X pattern, the heel falls off the edge of the stone, in the first inch of lateral travel.

Keep the heel on the stone, at least to the halfway point and do not make an exaggerated X stroke, with the tip, to the bottom corner of the stone. You only need to make an X so the toe is on the hone at the finish and should end up in the upper corner, not the bottom corner. The X stroke is a pressure shifting stroke and it does not take an exaggerated stroke to shift the pressure from heel to toe. Although, sometimes you may need to exaggerated stroke to hone a toe, just not every stroke.

Toes, generally need special attention. I use the heel and the toe a lot, when shaving so, I pay attention, to them when honing at the finish of each stone in the progression.

As said Sharpie ink will help but always finish each stone by looking at the bevels and edge of the heel and toe. Here, you may have to do the gymnastics, or add extra pressure, usually a finger, to get them honed. Often lifting the opposite, or spine, to get the proper angle, especially on smiling razors.

Also, as said, make sure the heel is properly shaped and that you are not hitting the stabilizer. Misshaped heels, extending past the edge of the stabilizer are a common source of honing issues for new honers.

A heel is easily corrected and should be a part of proper honing maintenance.