Thread: hone flat or rocking

When i see demonstrations on honing it is always recomended to keep razor perfectly flat.I always do marker test on my razors new or old to see if the heel and toe are making contact with my hoines which are always perfectly lapped and flatend. I would always say that the marker is fully removed on the belly every time but always eithr one side or the other the maker does not remove from the very begining of the heel and the very end of the toe in most cases i'm probably talking a thew mil.This hapens more on a curved point and not square point. If i hone leading with the heal and graduly raize towards the toe the marker vanishes in a couple of laps. my question is do most of you hone flat or use the slight rocking motion in most cases. i would like to be able to hone flat more often as it feel that is the right tecnique but if i no most of you have found you have to rock slightly to get the full lenght of the blade if you guys don't then i wonder if i'm doing somthing wrong.

I go by what the marker tells me. If flat will do it then I hone flat and if the rolling X is required then that is what I do. Sounds to me like you are doing what needs to be done.

+1 with the JimmyH.

Rock, roll, swoop, zig, and zag, whatever it takes to make sure every part of the blade slides across the stone evenly

Ah cheers for that info

I follow this advice, do whatever stroke is needed so that every part of the edge comes in contact with the hone. Whether that's a flat stroke, a full rolling x-stroke, or some combo where you only lift the toe or heel, as long as you can remove all the marker on the marker test then you're on your way to a keen edge. Honestly, I have yet to hone a razor that didn't require some sort of rocking/rolling stroke.

thats the answer i was hoping for i have always had to use the the rolling x thanxs jcitron