Thread: Circles ?

I generally do circles CW when moving away from me and CCW when returning, but I doubt that makes a difference.

If I need to remove a lot of metal when setting a bevel, I may do 40 circles away and 40 circles returning. Then I will drop back to 20 circles, then 10 circles, then 9,8,7,...,3,2,1 followed by X-strokes with lighter pressure toward the end. If I don't need to remove much metal, I may start at 10 -15 circles.

On mid-range stones, I start at 10 circles, followed by X-strokes to insure scratches from previous stones are fully replaced with finer scratches/stria.

When finishing a razor that has gone through an earlier progression, I use X-strokes only. However, if I am refreshing a razor using the finishing hone only, I start with 5 circles and then work my way down 5,4,3,2,1 and then finish with a few light X-strokes.

Depending upon the finishing hone I am using, I will lubricate it either with plain water, water plus a drop of liquid hand soap, or thin shaving lather. Occasionally, I have used Norton water-soluble honing solution.

That is just my usual method, but sometimes I use ax strokes rather than circles. Alex Gilmore recommends using scissors strokes in addition to X-strokes, but I have not yet done so.

I do not think it matters how you do the strokes as long as you work the entire length of the blade and you use the same number of strokes and similar pressure on both sides of the blade.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

I will try and do a fast vid tomorrow

I had a customer ask me to vid their razor honing so I will try and do the two birds with one stone thing hehehe

Been waiting for a long time to see you appear in a video again

Originally Posted by Mikali

Been waiting for a long time to see you appear in a video again

Thats not creepy in any way...

Originally Posted by markbignosekelly

Thats not creepy in any way...

LOL

Maybe the next outing I will trying skipping circles on the higher grits and see what happens.

Since learning it from Lynn's 4k bevel-setting video, I've often done circles on the lower grits (1 and 4k), especially if the bevel is a ways off to save time, and sometimes a few at 8 before progressing to X-strokes. I sometimes also do them on my translucent and surgical black Arks to save time (and lessen the chances of a wrong edge strike on such a hard stone). You're mostly just burnishing anyway on a finely-polished Arkansas, so again, the circles spare me a few hundred laps on WD-40. Of course I always follow-up with progressively lighter x-strokes until the edge is just right.

I use circles at every grit. Then 10 strokes no flip, each side. Then I go to a normal routine.
Pressure is changed with each increased grit, and water runs up the bevel face faster when this routine is employed.

Originally Posted by ultrasoundguy2003

I use circles at every grit. Then 10 strokes no flip, each side. Then I go to a normal routine.
Pressure is changed with each increased grit, and water runs up the bevel face faster when this routine is employed.

On your 10 strokes no flip are they 1/2 strokes as in up and back ?

Originally Posted by Jnatcat

On your 10 strokes no flip are they 1/2 strokes as in up and back ?

I dont get overly specific. I watch water if I have enough water to run a full stroke ,Yes Sir I do.
You ever torque and have so little water it sqeaks? I have not good.
Science says the water/ slurry interface when reaching equi thickness runs up the face. You dilute and what happens?
Your back to pushing water/slurry. After strokes mix runs up face.
What is the longest time blade is off hone? Simple question.
Its on the flip, remove the time off the hone speed the process, especially in the beginning phase.
Simple math states equal time/ pressure on hone speeds process.
Once dialed in, then return to equal strokes bilaterally.
If one side water runs up face, and opposite side pushes water. Adjust overcome, conquer. More strokes on lacking side. Till water runs up each side equally. No scope can capture this.
Stuff I stole from listening to Glenn.

Originally Posted by ultrasoundguy2003

I dont get overly specific. I watch water if I have enough water to run a full stroke ,Yes Sir I do.
You ever torque and have so little water it sqeaks? I have not good.
Science says the water/ slurry interface when reaching equi thickness runs up the face. You dilute and what happens?
Your back to pushing water/slurry. After strokes mix runs up face.
What is the longest time blade is off hone? Simple question.
Its on the flip, remove the time off the hone speed the process, especially in the beginning phase.
Simple math states equal time/ pressure on hone speeds process.
Once dialed in, then return to equal strokes bilaterally.
If one side water runs up face, and opposite side pushes water. Adjust overcome, conquer. More strokes on lacking side. Till water runs up each side equally. No scope can capture this.
Stuff I stole from listening to Glenn.

I to watch water and do my best to have it come over the edge rather than push it and I to look for the same on both up/down stroke as that tells me the edge is usually good along with the proper torque on the edge if it evenly rides up about the same on both sides, my current method is not really paying attention to whether the circles are CCW or CW and I just do what my brain and hands tell me to but never gave it any thought on not doing circles on the higher grits as it's what I have always done and the edges are very acceptable to me and gives me a great shave, I think I am always fascinated to try other methods of honing to see if something yields better results over my current method.