Thread: Flipping the blade

Originally Posted by Butzy

I had a lot of trouble with this starting out as well. I had to literally sit for an entire night on a hone, concentrating on each flip, slowly but surely I got faster and it feels natural now. It took an entire evening, but it took me months to learn how to hone in general, so it's a small price to pay imo

I'll second this. It took me a while to get the hang of leaving the spine on the hone/strop and flipping the blade 'properly' too. If you don't goof up, it doesn't really matter. But the first time you nick an $80 strop, irreplaceable vintage strop, or ding an edge at the finishing stage thus sending you right back to the 1K might be about the time you decide to mend your ways. A dinged edge is what changed my mind on the subject.

I'll also second what Kelbro said. The flip comes more natural when you hold the tang between thumb and forefinger at opposing corners. Quick flip of the fingers and the edge falls right in place.

Since creating this topic, I wanted to say that I'm pretty proficient in the "flip". Just takes practice. I found that one should ensure that the fingers using to flip the blade are totally dry. You want as much grippage as possible :-) Seems like a simple thing but I was failing miserably when using wet fingers since my dominant hand would be the one I'd nominate to splash the stone with water :-)

Hehe, guess I shoulda checked the post date before chiming in just to up my post count. Yea, dry fingers is imperative. I use a spray bottle to wet stones, but when I use shave lather as a honing medium on natural stones sometimes it migrates down the tang and screws up the works.

Well... the next level is wet fingers. And the next after that is honing and eating french fries (with your dominant hand of course!)

Jokes aside, flipping the blade properly will not only reduce the chance of nicking the edge, but will also shorten the flipping movement. Although awkward at first, it becomes natural with practice. It also increases speed, slightly... maybe by 10%. I don't like flipping the blade on the spine while honing, especially on coarser stones. It leaves marks on the spine, and some of them are decorated, have gold wash, etc. Just something to take into account as well.

Ha! I'm exactly the opposite, I flip edge down both honing and stropping. Why? I learned my initial muscle memory honing knives. No one ever flips a knife on the spine. Once in a great while I'll put a tiny nick in an edge, usually honing a 7/8 or wider when I'm tired. I've been honing razors 6+ years.

I've never, ever nicked a strop with a razor. I regularly destroy them with kitchen knives because I want the tip to be 100% and that means eventually cutting or scratching the leather. Now, I do use scrap leather or failed eBay strops for this purpose, or cardboard cereal box material (thanks for the idea Ron!)

The most important thing is that you develop a rythym that allows you to hone or strop without thinking about it.

Cheers, Steve

Originally Posted by Steve56

I've never, ever nicked a strop with a razor. I regularly destroy them with kitchen knives because I want the tip to be 100% and that means eventually cutting or scratching the leather. Now, I do use scrap leather or failed eBay strops for this purpose, or cardboard cereal box material (thanks for the idea Ron!)

Newspaper works well too.

since almost every man on the planet is a knife guy, that shouldn't stop you from doing the right move with a razor cause all men aren't straight shavers so it must be learned like everything else,, when us knife guys turned straight user we just practiced,, so practice the right way slow and easy till you got the muscle memory Tc

When I am honing, the one word that I do not associate with the process is "fast".

Take your time. Force yourself to adhere to good and proper technique, including rolling over the spine to change direction.

Muscle memory is helpful, but focused concentration is better.