Thread: simple honing under the stereo scope

I feel that chucking my crappy Amazon 30x LED loupe for an actual quality triplet (10x BELoMo) was the single biggest improvement to my honing since I started in 2012. Edge details are super crisp and clear combined with a much larger, clearer field of view that outclasses the plastic, Chinese loupe in every way. The difference is like using a real tool versus a toy that mimics the function of the actual tool.

Best couple of $20s I have spent on honing to date.

Yup, there is optics then there is optics.

Bob

Originally Posted by sharptonn

I can say a 4/8 Norton. I use a 5x loupe, but usually look at it with readers and a magnifying visor on.
I run from microscopes!

Attachment 298759

I think you could add a pasted strop to follow the Norton 4/8 and for tune ups for not much money and get a pretty good edge.

Originally Posted by DZEC

I think you could add a pasted strop to follow the Norton 4/8 and for tune ups for not much money and get a pretty good edge.

You could also use a Naniwa 3K/8K combination stone in place of the Norton 4K/8K along with a Crox pasted strop.

Bob

The Norton 4/8 or the Naniwa 3/8 is well proved for beginners and experienced honers, many people have been rather surprised at the edge off a Norton 8k when pushed by very experienced hands

https://sharprazorpalace.com/honing/...on-2012-a.html


There are many one hone options but beginners would have issues with a bevel set

Part of the issue with all these discussions is the term "Honing" is never really broken down to the important components

Heavy bevel sets/repair

Normal bevel sets

Sharpen and finish

Finish refresh


This makes a huge difference in technique and hones, but we tend to just lump it all into the same conversation

ie:
I was resetting a damaged bevel and I raised a burr took that off and then set my 1k bevel
-vs-
I was on my 4k bringing the sharpness back and evening up the bevels before moving up to the 8k and raised a burr

The former would be accepted as no big deal, the latter would be looked at as heavy hands and bad technique


Hone On !!!

Personally, I abhor a burr. The glitter on the edge.
Used to get it a lot when using a DMT to get issues fixed. Breadboarding and all that. Hard to be rid of and eats-up some blade, I think.

Since I got a Chosera 1k and a 600 slurry turd, I have not touched a blade to a DMT.

No more glitter, yet pretty fast results.

Thanks, Mike!

had an amazing day in the shop today. was talking with a friend at a "friendsgiving" the other day {thanksgiving for friends, most of us are friends from the local air cooled volkswagon club, as my boy drives a 69 beetle that we are slowly restoring}, and she said that she didn't know how to sharpen a knife. so I invited her over to the shop and we shot 2 videos for youtube. I have been looking for someone who isn't camera shy, has a good personality, and has never sharpened a knife for awhile now to do this video with, and seeing as how this thread has been so "burr vs no burr" we shot 2 vids, both with a paring knife, one burr based, and one plateau based.

so we took her from never having put a knife to a stone at all, to slicing paper and shaving hair off my arm with the same knife and 2 methods, both freehand. she showed up not being able to sharpen at all, and left with the words "im gonna go home and sharpen all of my kitchen knives and pocket knives" with a huge smile on her face :} and its all on video! I think it will be a good one, and help as many folks as I can to learn to sharpen and give them the confidence to go ahead and get it done :}

now if that wasn't exciting enough, I asked her if she might be interested in doing the same thing with a straight razor, and she said she was "totally up for it". so I need to get the basics for how we will shoot that video, and get to growing some whiskers, so that I can have her hone a razor, and then I will shave with it here in the shop. and I need to get it figured out before she practices sharpening knives too much as I really want that totally newbie side of it :}

for the rest of the thread, glenn is totally right. I do mostly setting the first edge a razor has ever seen. and then practicing and exploring new stones and styles of honing, and since I make most of the ones im testing, I don't really care if I wear a razor out, as that just gives me an excuse to make another one. and with all that testing, I have rarely had to refresh a razor, as they don't need that all that often. and as for me personally, a gold washed fancy file worked spine razor would be a waste as im not really the fancy sort of fella. so if I were to get one, id probably treat it just like the others, or give or sell it to someone who would appreciate it for its beauty.


the one stone and minimum set up, I am really liking that little suehiro 1/6 and a crox strop a lot. but haven't been able to find them online that are the same color to recommend to folks. I also like the nortons, and for me the naniwas are just kind of ok for me.


the optics thing. that scope that I bought to help me teach sharpening has taught me a ton. lots of things that I wondered about, I can now see in that scope and its a ton of fun! heck ive sharpened thousands and thousands of knives, and im still learning a ton. and experimenting with new stones. just today I got a soft and hard ark in the mail from natural whetstone company, to go along with the translucent black from them, and to compare and work with my dans trans and black. I would suggest that if you don't have optics, to get some, and get the best you can afford, at the very least, they help with other stuff like pulling splinters and such :}

Indeed in knife sharpening, A burr is often how you get there.
Am reminded of a thread I saw today about 'finger-stropping', on razors.

Some knife old-timers refer to it as 'Pulling the wire'

Originally Posted by caltoncutlery

as for me personally, a gold washed fancy file worked spine razor would be a waste as im not really the fancy sort of fella. so if I were to get one, id probably treat it just like the others, or give or sell it to someone who would appreciate it for its beauty

I do treat the odd gold washed and/or fancy file worked spine razor that I have just like the plain Jane ones I have. I tape the spines of all my razors regardless so they all get honed the same way. They are not a pita to work with whatsoever. If you don't like the aesthetics of a razor that is another story and a personal choice but not really related to honing.

Bob

see and I still am not seeing all that much difference in sharpening vs honing. sure a pocket knife is different from a razor, but a chopper is different from a paring knife. and a paring knife is different from a pair of scissors, and scissors are different from a lawnmower blade, and then throw in axes and chainsaws, chisels, handsaws, fishhooks, drill bits, lathe bits, reamers, ect…..

it is all a chunk of steel that you rub on a rock {or I guess we can throw in files and grinders so they don't feel left out} in such a manner to create a cutting edge that is best suited for its intended purpose and generally involves abrading 2 sides of the steel until they meet at a specified angle, and desired finish.