Hone length

I've thought about this from day 1 but until not I never got around to sketch it and make a post. It concerns the preference for particular hone dimensions.

The presumptions:
(1) Blade length is ~ 3"
(2) Blade width is ~ 0.5-1"
(3) The recommended angle when honing is 45degrees (\pi/4)

Now a hone width beyond 3" seems completely useless since through a stroke the blade will never make contact with the full width.
Narrower hones are useful for warped blades or blades with uneven hone wear when the edge simply is not flat on a wider hone.

However, there is some preference for longer hones (7"-8").
The thing is that if you only use 45 degree strokes, a single stroke does not extend more than 3", so given some cushion for the blade width there is no need for a hone longer than 5".

I am including a picture that illustrates the geometry of this.

My question to those who prefer longer hones - are you using angle, sharper than 45degree? (If you move the razor diagonaly across the full length of a 8" hone, the angle is atan(3/8) = 20degree.) If you do - is this for the intermediate steps only and the final polish is still at 45degrees or the other way around?

Ivan,

can you be confusing the x-stroke with 45 deg angle of blade on hone?

I mean, to me the graphic shows the x-stroke.

Having said this - on longer hones I do whatever I feel like. Sometimes I keep the blade as you show, and obviously the angle of the x is different. On others, I keep the blade at about 45 degrees to the hone long side, and combine this with an x too!

Basically, I do like long hones when I can get them because they let me do a more gradual and uninterrupted stroke as opposed to short ones, which require flipping the blade pretty often. After all, I want to hone the razor, not flip it :roflmao

Cheers
Ivo

Yes, thanks Ivo, the alternative would be to angle the blade at 45degree and then go as far as you get hone.
I'm not yet decided what I prefer - I remember a post of Alan saying that the diagonal (X-pattern) stroke like in the picture above may be a bit better, but I suspect as with everything else it's a matter of personal preference.

But yes, in that case indeed you could use as long hone as you have. I can make a picture of it too, if somebody wants to see it. In this case the width of the hone needs not be over 2". And Also if you want the whole blade to be in contact with the stone you loose about 2" of hone length on each stroke... I guess I may need a picture :)

Ivan,

just another data point - I don't think a hone over say 9" would be very good because to use the whole length you may need to (it seems to me that you would have to) exaggerate / modify the motion and it won't be as smoooth overall...

Cheers
Ivo

Right, I'd imagine that about 8" may be where you can keep a steady motion with your hand, if the hone is too long I suspect that the natural curving that your hand does may get too much to ensure for uniform stroke.

But I guess it didn't hurt to make the pictures to explain what I meant. I'm of course just learning and may settle on one or the other or perhaps a combination of both kind of strokes.

I personally prefer longer, skinnier hones. Most of my hones are 8x1.5 or 6x1.5 inches. These hones require you to use a combination of a diagonally angled blade and an X pattern in your honing but seem to require less strokes overall. If I had long, wide stones, I would stick with the diagonal blade or just go straight ahead (if the hone was wide enough). I guess the motions all just depend on what hone you have to work with and what is most comfortable for you.

I like the 8" or longer hones fine, but for personal use I have come to prefer hones around 2" x 6" or smaller (explains why I like barber hones so much).

I always use the x-stroke with the heel leading by about 20 degrees (razor and knife). I always end the stroke with the tip of the razor from the center to 1/2" above the hones bottom edge, at the end of the hone, regardless of the hone's length.

I just adjust the strokes angle-across-the-hone to leave the razor's tip in the above position.