Thread: How do you hone?

I get the most enjoyment out of holding the hone in my hand but most of my stones are too big (8 inch DMT's, Norton etc). The only stones I can hold are my finishing hones.

So I guess you could say that I put the stones on a table for setting the bevel, and hold the stone for honing.

A stable surface , I would be afraid of inconsistent results if I were holding the hone.

Hone on top of Norton lid, that arrangement on newpaper or some such, nearest short side of the hone roughly parallel to chest, two-handed! (It came as a bit of a revelation to me when I saw Bill Ellis honing two-handed on his DVD, as I find that much easier than honing one handed.)

I voted other, because it varies. I've only used a Swaty thus far, so if the razor needs a bit of work, I might use two hands on the blade for a little more pressure, and that would mean putting the stone on a tabletop. Otherwise, I like to hold it in my hand. For my slightly warped Pipe, I stand the stone in its side on a tabletop and use two hands, because it's hard to stay flat on such a narrow surface with one hand.

I don't use the "Norton" box.......I take the stone out, soak it very well,
and use it on a table (on a shop-rag).......

A one-cup measuring cup serves as my water-supply.....

(and have several shop-rags handy to wipe the razor, sop up the drippings, wipe blood.....stuff like that.....)

Marko.........

I get best results holding the hones in my hand. Even the big DMT plates. Plus it's a good isometric wrist flexor exercise.

I tend to use my hones hand held and I mostly own 8" x 3" hones. The only one I don't use that way is the Norton, too messy! I used to keep the hone on the bench or on my knee but I found holding the hone made it easier to handle my smiling blades that seem to require some body English to get honed evenly. Not sure what I'll do if I end up with those glass Shaptons... I'll probably try the holder on the bench but suspect I'll end up hand holding them like barber hones.

Regards

Christian

I hone standing up at the kitchen sink. I hold the hone in my hand, norton or cotcule.

Charlie

I'm new at this but I am having some success. I have tried a counter top, hand held and in my lap. I have settled on in my lap. I have a metal tray meant for water colors with a my Norton sitting on a folded towel.

I find that with the lap method I can relax and I have better control at using the weight of the razor. For me the palm of my hand feels awkward and the counter top is fatiguing. With the hone in my lap my arm is hanging naturally and i can hone for an extended period with no fatigue.

If I hone on a counter or table my shoulder begins to tire. The palm of the opposite hand method throws another variable into the mix as I have to keep the hone level in my left hand and manipulate the razor with my right.

Thanks to a post with photos that I found here I flatten my stones in the kitchen sink with water dripping from the tap. So far so good.

I think you'll find most who use the larger hones do it on a table while the people who use barbers hones alot use it in their hands which is how they were intended to be used.