Thread: Short stones/strokes - More Control? Less Burr?

Originally Posted by Utopian

I cannot understand this. I'm not arguing your observations, but I have a Zeiss stereomicroscope with maximum magnification of 63x through the eyepieces and 95x with my optical camera adapter and the entire thing has excellent resolution, and I never have been able to produce a visible burr on a razor.

Did you TRY to form a burr? I wouldn't have formed one either if I hadn't wanted to. If you stick to alternating strokes it is almost difficult to form a visible burr. Then you may need that excess pressure to actually see one form on most steels.

Originally Posted by mainaman

the lightest possible pressure is achieved by short slow stroke IMHO.

That was the opinion expressed in the Iwasaki treatise as well. The shorter the stroke, the lighter the pressure.

Originally Posted by eKretz

Did you TRY to form a burr? I wouldn't have formed one either if I hadn't wanted to. If you stick to alternating strokes it is almost difficult to form a visible burr. Then you may need that excess pressure to actually see one form on most steels.

No, but this thread and many other in the past have seemed to suggest that a burr is a relatively normal consequence of honing.

Nah. I hardly ever see a burr when honing razors unless making multiple strokes on one side without alternating - which is basically what I'd call trying to form a burr - and this will happen no matter the pressure.

Every now and then I see a burr form when honing with alternating strokes but very rarely and only under certain conditions. Namely when using a very fast hone with longer strokes. Pretty much never when using natural stones with any decent amount of slurry though.

Originally Posted by Kees

As I understand it a wire edge is a burr created by
....

From time to time I have seen an eyelash on my 8K snow white hone.
Well it was not an eyelash it was a burr from the previous hone.
If you feel something go bump do rinse the hone it is likely a burr that has released.

Burrs at 1k and 2k are effective proof that a bevel has set.
Mostly a burr is steel that has deformed plastically with an edge leading push stroke.

A cork can tear the burr off but the tear may look like a microchip.
This may not be ideal for a razor. Your experience will tell you more.

Tricks like the pyramid method of honing solve some of this.
Pyramids for sure minimize a long eyelash or hair like burr for me.

Modern hones cut so well that a light touch is productive and avoids this issue.

Countdown honing helps minimize burrs and helps release any burr.

Light edge trailing strokes can release burrs before changing grits.

Stropping can break them off by alternating bending and like bending
a coat hanger steel will work harden then break. These broken bits I find
give me a harsh shave but CrOx calms them down.

Modern ceramic fine grit waterstones like Naniwa and Shapton are amazing.
The Norton combo is not too bad either.