Pyramid Honing: A Photo Tutorial

Few topics generate more questions from newbies than the cryptic-sounding "pyramid method" of honing. There are some good threads out there that explain it, but I thought a photo tutorial might help fill in a few gaps. Before I get started, I want to thank Jim at Vintage Blades for his patience. When I originally decided to write this tutorial several months ago, I didn't have a Norton combo hone to work with. Jim lent me one, and waited, and waited, and waited... Finally I decided to just buy it to make the guilt go away. :) Thanks, Jim.

Enough of that...

What is the pyramid method of honing?
The theory behind the pyramid system is simple: You alternate between hones of two different grits, using a lot of strokes on the coarser side to start out, then using fewer and fewer as you continue. Usually, the pyramid is done on a Norton 4000/8000 grit combination stone, which was popularized by Lynn Abrams, SRP's founder.

It's called a "pyramid" because the strokes on the coarse side of the stone taper off as you go: You might start with 10, for example, then 5, then 3, then 1.

The pyramid is a popular approach because it's simple and it works. As you progress in your honing abilities, you'll develop theories as to why it works, but even some of the more advanced honers seem to disagree on the theory behind it. For right now, let's just say that it helps you avoid some of the vexing problems of honing and creates a clear path for you to follow. It helps you avoid the dreaded "overhoned edge," and it partially answers the question "how many strokes do I do?"

You'll frequently hear two different pyramids mentioned, the "conservative pyramid" and the "aggresive pyramid." Here's how the conservative pyramid works:

1 stroke 4K, 5 strokes 8K
3 strokes 4K, 5 strokes 8K
5 strokes 4K, 5 strokes 8K
3 strokes 4K, 5 strokes 8K
1 stroke 4K, 5 strokes 8K

See how the number of strokes on the 4K side of the hone increase and then decrease? There's your "pyramid."

So let's see how this gets applied in honing. I'm going to be doing a touch-up on a vintage razor that Joe Chandler customized for me. He etched my initials on the blade and made some beautiful horn scales for it... Thanks again, Joe. :)

Here's a shot of all my honing equipment. The tub of water is to soak the Norton combo hone. You need to soak it for about 15 minutes before honing to allow the water to permiate the 4K side of the hone.

Those steel plates are DMT diamond hones, 325 grit and 1200 grit. I use the 325-grit hone for lapping, and the 1200-grit one for dealing with chipped edges.

The green cloth is a cheap microfiber cloth from Wal-Mart. These are great for drying off the blade to check on the edge.

I use the spray bottle to mist the surface of the hone with water as I go.

After allowing the Norton to soak for 15 minutes or so, until bubbles stop coming out of it, it's time to lap it. Lapping is done to flatten and clean the hone. I've also done a lapping photo tutorial.

I'm lapping this hone with my 325-grit DMT hone, which is fast and not too messy. The running water keeps the DMT from clogging.

A freshly lapped hone is a joy to use. The surfaces are smooth and cut efficiently.

Holding the razor properly is important. I find that I get the best results if I hold the shank of the razor lightly between my thumb and first two fingers. Keep your fingers on the sides of the shank, not gripping the top and bottom. You want to pull and push the razor along the surface, not press the blade down into the hone.

My ring finger and pinky curl under the scales, lightly supporting them during the stroke.

This photo shows the posture I use when honing. I struggled a lot when I was starting out until I got Lynn's DVD and copied his posture.

Position the hone so that it points away from your body. I find that it's much easier to keep the razor flat on the hone when your strokes are going toward and away from you, instead of side to side.

Honing seated is better than trying to stand, because your face is closer to your hands and you can see what you're doing better. Also, you'll probably be doing this for a while, and if you try to stand you'll get tired before your razor gets sharp. :)

Notice how my elbow is held up off the table. Keeping your elbow up allows you to make even, smooth strokes.

Notice that I'm only using one hand. Some guys do quite well using two hands, but most find that it's easier to get consistent results using one.

I recommend using an X-pattern stroke. To do an X stroke, you start with the whole blade on the hone, and as you draw the razor across the surface of the hone, you make a diagonal line with the tip of the razor. The heel of the razor comes off the hone, and you end the stroke with only 1/3 of the blade resting on the hone.

Repeating the diagonal on the away stroke makes an X. See? :)

Two critical points to remember during each stroke:

• Use light, even strokes
• Keep the blade flat on the hone, with both the edge and the spine touching at all times

Bearing down on the razor with a lot of pressure will damage the delicate edge you're trying to create.

The spine is a built-in angle guide, allowing you to keep the exact same angle on each stroke.

You begin the pyramid by honing on the 4000-grit side of the hone, which is the white side.We're just touching up a razor that's already pretty sharp, so we'll do a conservative pyramid.

I do one X-pattern lap on the 4K side. A lap includes a stroke in each direction--forward and back--so both sides of the razor are getting honed equally.

As I hone, the water soaks into the stone, so I keep misting the water on. You want to keep a puddle of water on top of the hone.

I flip the hone over, mist on some more water, and do five X-strokes on the yellow 8000-grit side.

I work my way through the rest of the pyramid:

• One stroke on the 4K, flip, five on the 8K.
• Three strokes on the 4K, flip, five on the 8K.
• Five strokes on the 4K, flip, five strokes on the 8K.
• Three strokes on the 4K, flip, five on the 8K.
• One stroke on the 4K, flip, five on the 8K.
• One stroke on the 4K, flip, five on the 8K.

The last 1-5 steps require paying close attention to keeping the pressure light and the blade flat on the hone. The edge is very delicate at this stage, and you can damage it if you're not careful.

One good clue to watch is the way the water responds to the razor. When the blade is flat, the edge will push a ripple of water in front of it.

That's all there is to it. :) Well, that and a bit of practice. This razor is ready for a test shave.

One other technique that I wanted to mention is circular honing. If you have a razor that has some bad damage to the edge, like a chip or ding, circular honing on the 4K can help you work out the damage quickly.

Do do a circular honing stroke, lay the blade flat on the hone. Press down firmly and move the blade in small circles. Do maybe 10 or 20, then flip the blade over and repeat on the other side. The extra pressure and circular motions remove steel much faster than an X-pattern stroke.

I've created a discussion thread for questions and comments. If I've left out some important details, let me know so I can add them in. :)

Thanks for reading, everyone!

Josh