Thread: X pattern honing on a 3 inch - inefficient?

Thought I would try it again...........

In answer to the original question, the X pattern is not an inefficient stoke for honing.

Originally Posted by Lynn

Well guys, I still believe that the most effective cutting stroke for honing is the X pattern whether on a 1 inch stone or on a 10 inch wide stone. The blade should be flat and there should be virtually no pressure and the stroke should be even for the very best results. I will do circles when I have a lot of work to do to establish a bevel, but always finish them with the X stroke pattern. Now........I've honed a bunch more than 10,000 razors and am still learning, so always open to new thoughts and ways of doing things. This issue has come up a bunch and I experimented with no X pattern on quite a few razors just to end up coming back to it. Interestingly and especially on older razors with a lot of hone wear, meaning the shoulders have been worn down unevenly, it made it more difficult to get an even and consistent stroke with just pulling and pushing straight up and down. The razor tends to jump and slide vs. that even feel across the stone.

I'd be interested in hearing how this method holds up after someone else trying it on a bunch of razors.

Have fun,

Lynn