Thread: Over-honed edge

I have a frictionite #24 that I have been starting to try to learn to hone my wapi on. I started with a keen edge and have been trying to keep it. When I drag it across my thumbnail, it grips all the way. However, at the tip of the razor it feels a little bit "chunky" and unsmooth. From what I have read, this happens when you over-hone and creates a "wiry edge". Why is this a bad thing and how can you set it right?

It's really hard to tell without actually seeing the razor, but if it really is overhoned, you will need to either take it to a coarser hone, and rebuild the edge, or backhone to remove the wire edge.
I'm not familiar with your hone either, so I don't know what grit you are working with.
Also keep in mind running your thumb nail down a shave ready edge will damage the edge.

Your probably correct, given the edges history (starting out sharp) that it is infact overhoned.

You can back hone or use a lower grit and begin again.

Also begin to evaluate your stroke as you are probably applying too much action at the tip, either with finger pressure or a misaligned stroke pattern.

Thanks for the help! Back-honing is using the hone but using a stroke that has the edge following the spine as opposed to vice versa??

I'm new to this and still have some questions. Is it easy to over-hone your razor? How hard is it to reverse the damage done to an over-honed razor. I guess I'm just wondering, as I'm just getting into all of this, if while I am honing I should be really aware of not over doing it.
Also, is it possible to over strop? If so what are the damages? and are they easily reversible?

Yes, exactly, I would also say though that your probably not just breaking off a simple wire edge, your probably going to need to set a smooth bevel again.

I would suggest a circular honing stroke, say 30 laps on the Friciotionite, after you break the edge. A circular stroke should repair the breaks without creating any new ones.

Then finish with, lets see Frictionite . . . mmmmm 15 forward strokes and see if that is better.

I'd TNT (thumb nail test) the edge again before the 15 forward strokes and do more circular honing if the edge is not smooth (it won't bite much at that point into the nail).

What is bad about over-honing an edge??

Thanks again!

It hurts, creates irritation, and doesn't shave well. Its like saying "well technically a broken shiver of glass is sharp therefore . . . "

In a related question... I am just starting with honing too. I am working on a Wade and Butcher. I had previously worked on it with some barber hones and had a decent bevel and it would sort of shave arm/leg hairs but obviously wasn't there yet. Under the scope I saw that I had a little bit of a black spot on one small part of the edge which was jagged/nicked.

I was using the Norton 4k to basically get through the black spot on the edge which took many many strokes. I should have used the 1k but now I know that for next time. Under the microscope it looks like I have finally gotten through this area to good metal underneath and I have I think a good bevel now.

But because of all the strokes the rest of the blade (which already had a decent bevel) I think is overhoned and when I was looking at the edge on the scope at a few places I could see sort of like a coiled wire coming off the edge. Now it is less sharp then when I started.

Should I just backhone for a few strokes and then start over with the 4k or should I drop down to the 1k for a few strokes and start over on the 4k?

Thanks,

Shawn

If all you have is a simple wire edge I, and I emphasize the I part, would back hone on 8K and then forward hone on 8K until I had a good edge.

Some would say that it is better to hone on 4K (in which case you do not need to back hone at all) and then move forward on 8 K or another high grit stone.

Using the low grit eliminates the wire edge. Either way, when your done you end up with a dull (but clean) bevel and you need to reapply just the sharpness quality.

Thus the overhoning blues term/phrase you'll hear from all honemiesters "back honing makes you start all over again".

A sharp edge is something you sort of want to creep up on . . .