Thread: Exercise: flat honing stroke

Sometimes you want the razor to stay flat on the hone throughout your honing stroke (or most of it). This can be hard to do when using a light razor on a heavy hone, especially for a new user. The "feel" or feedback through the hand holding the razor can be tough to judge. At other times you just want to keep the razor's edge from running over the very edge of the hone. So...

I've been testing/using a W4EE lately as a replacement for the D8EE. Using it, you can clearly feel, in the hand holding the hone, when the razor is flat or bearing on either edge of the hone. To practice it, all that's really needed is something about 1" wide x 4" or more long x thick enough to keep a razor from cutting your fingers. e.g. Like a 6" ruler's smooth side, strip of thick leather, etc... Stropping the surface seems to train the hand just as well as edge-leading. Both hands get feedback from the "razor pressure" this way.

For me, holding method #1 offers better sensitivity.

Using this small hone for razors has noticeably (and rapidly) improved my final honing stroke on all my hones. So far: the more I use this small W4EE, the closer my D8EE is getting to retirement.

Originally Posted by Sticky

Sometimes you want the razor to stay flat on the hone throughout your honing stroke (or most of it). This can be hard to do when using a light razor on a heavy hone, especially for a new user. The "feel" or feedback through the hand holding the razor can be tough to judge. At other times you just want to keep the razor's edge from running over the very edge of the hone. So...

I've been testing/using a W4EE lately as a replacement for the D8EE. Using it, you can clearly feel, in the hand holding the hone, when the razor is flat or bearing on either edge of the hone. To practice it, all that's really needed is something about 1" wide x 4" or more long x thick enough to keep a razor from cutting your fingers. e.g. Like a 6" ruler's smooth side, strip of thick leather, etc... Stropping the surface seems to train the hand just as well as edge-leading. Both hands get feedback from the "razor pressure" this way.

For me, holding method #1 offers better sensitivity.

Using this small hone for razors has noticeably (and rapidly) improved my final honing stroke on all my hones. So far: the more I use this small W4EE, the closer my D8EE is getting to retirement.

So can you do a full hone on just DMT hones? I really like the look of those guys, and they are so SMALL! Very nice.

Lately I have been using/testing the small green 1200 and tan 8000 DMTs for razors and knives both; they are working fine for me so far. I've been using the red 600 on knives for over 22 years, so sharpening a 3" razor on the same length presents no problem.

I almost always finish up on a fine barber hone.

Great technique. Seemed to naturally self level when I tried it tho I can see some Newb bloodshed is possible.
Not many razors seeing my 3" wide stones any more. Love my DMT's & Belgian shorties.

I use the same 'hold' on mine. Works very well. Just have to train the thumb to stay down

I always hold my hones in my hand when I use them, palm up like in photo #1 above. It offers so much more feedback than when the stone is on the table. You can really feel how much pressure you're applying, and how you're applying it. I personally like the narrow hones, I've never really taken a liking to the 3" nortons... that's why I did this! http://straightrazorpalace.com/advan...w-results.html Just so much more control and feedback on the skinnies! This is obviously just my personal opinion, and I'm all for people who like the wide ones too

Dave