Originally Posted by
Midway
I'm still a relative newcomer to the skill of honing. The orthodoxy is that the 'X stroke' is the preferable way to finish a razor, while the 'half stroke' and 'circles' are used for removing more material earlier in the honing progression.
Pretty much sums up razor honing in a nutshell.
In fact, many scoff at using a half stroke to finish a razor. The rub is there are some very respected members who use the half stroke to finish razors.
Really ? Haven't heard anyone here recommend it
So...........why is the half stroke not in the mainstream of finishing techniques?
Mainly because you want to finish up evenly & one stroke per side will do that whereas multiple strokes will not be as accurate.
Or is this just my perception and half strokes are indeed excellent finishing strokes ?
Speaking generally, on single bevel tools like chisels, Jp/knives etc this is an accepted honing method because of the geometry. You form a burr on the bevel & it is removed on the finest stone on the reverse side, (Ura ). Guys here tend not to go for burr formation on razors as it leads to uncomfortable shaves. You can of course do whatever you wish.
On a related note, is it not easier to see your progress if you remove stria in a different direction of the stria you created on a coarser stone?
Nope, not really. You should mostly look at the edge to see it refining, not the bevel.
What are the 'cons' of not doing so?
None really. In fact it may save you steel by not excessively honing for an aesthetic reason.
If I use half strokes on my 1k hone, and x strokes on my 4k hone, will I more easily see how well I've improved the bevel and therefore the edge?
Nope, because the strokes will all be in the same direction, unless you hone toe leading.
The natural extension of this would be to use half strokes on my 8k and then x strokes on my finisher of choice.
Thanks in advance for helping me expand my knowledge base!