Thread: Toes less keen

might want to learn with just a couple of them, and learn well,, that way all this excessive stuff wont get in the way of you actually getting a good edge. you kniow even the best hone guys out there keep it simple..... you know the rest

I suggest you spend some time with one of the experienced honers.
Unfortunately, I don't know one in North Florida.

If you ask someone will volunteer. Alternative is to go to a meet.

Thank you all for the info!!!
Much information to absorb.

----I do have a loupe 30-60x inexpensive amazon loupe

---dragging my feet with setting up usb microscope since many do not use them and go on feel alone, not to mention added confusion of higher power images

---I do have and occasionally still use the marker, but my thumb check gives me similar info, I will revisit this marker more this week.

--- I figured since I dumbed down blade then worked up with natural hone progression, I’ would minimize confusion. Thought that would keep it apples / oranges. Does lapping film count as synthetic? Does diamond balsa count as synthetic? Or does synthetic mean range of synthetic hones followed by plain leather strop?

--- I end up working the toe a bit more to get it to catch up and even out

--- I usually notice difference before stropping, but have been checking more often , and more critically during the process. I have tried and had a few decent shaves without stropping

--- I have been thinking that bias during lapping is causing the issue !!!…. I also think it’s the away stroke where fault lies

--- I really like lapping films and will continue to use them, but there is something about stone and steel !!!

What technique are you using that you are confident the bevels are fully set?

You should be able to get a shaving edge, with Synthetic, Natural or film. Your finished edge should be at least 8k.

Just look at the edge at the toe, if you see shiny reflection the bevel is not fully set. As said, ink will also give you a lot of feedback on your technique. It will tell you if you are honing to the edge, but not necessarily if the bevels are meeting “Fully”.

As advised, pick one system, learn it, perfect it then experiment with others. Now you will have a fall back and more importantly know what to look for.

Take a look at post, (https://sharprazorpalace.com/honing/...ggestions.html), there are some excellent micrographs of bevels at various stone grits and levels of honing, compare them to what you are seeing on your edges. Also note a fully set bevel on page 11, post 51, looking straight down on the edge.

30-60X is plenty of magnification, but if you have a scope, you can post photos of bevels that others can help you interpret.

Magnification is only an issue if, you do not understand what you are seeing.

Disregard the braille honing method. Yea, you may get there some day, but tell me, what does a “fully” set bevel feel like on a stone.

If the rest of the edge is getting honed properly, it is not the stone, it is your technique. As your honing improves, so too will your expectations from an edge. (What you think is good now…)

Just look at it.

Originally Posted by duke762

Welcome to the forum. I was troubled by constant differences between heel and toe sharpness. Thought I was doing everything right. It was suggested to me that I either lower the hone or raise my elbow to compensate for any heel bias I was putting on the blade......Worked like a champ. Hope this helps.

The most common honing motion (sort of an X stroke) tends to have the heel leave the hone and strop when the toe gets the
most touch time on both. Playing with a magic marker can help you see this, even on a strop.

You can play with heal first strokes, diagonal strokes where the entire blade is always in contact.
You can play with very linear hone strokes where the heal or the toe is always in contact.

You can play with circles on the finest two hones you use. The circle tends to rock a bit from
toe to heel and heel to toe.

When playing use a light touch and the old magic marker so you can see things that are hard to feel.

Bravo for your commitment to the cause!!! I started on synthetic stones (naniwa choseras) then naturals to the point of being a rock hound...all kinds of crazy stuff....u know playin with the mud....but the one thing I noticed from your list of tools is that you dont have a savage 1k stone...Get a 1k chosera (pro) and get a sweet bevel...a lil more work is what it seems you're missing That damn 1k is probably my most important stone....excuse me.... it is the most important! Keep it up and enjoy the learning!!!