Thread: Touch up honing

When doing a touch up, what is the number of laps you do? I know it should pass the TPT. But if you keep your laps to with in #X & #Z what would it be. I'm getting BBS but I also add another pass to my shaves. I start with WTG, then I do XTG ( Example: chin to ear), then I do ATG & ending with another XTG (example: Ear to chin). That has been giving me some nice BBS shaves every time.

I do about 20-40 laps before the first pass on a strop, then after the shave I do 10-20 laps. I don't push hard on the strop with the blade. I also do about 20-30 laps on the pasted paddle strop every other weeks. But it feels like I'm losing little of the sharpness.

I have a really simple rule when it comes to honing, anytime... this works for re-touching too...

Take a ready hone do 10 laps test the edge, rinse the stone, spin the stone so you are using the other side now and repeat, until you pass the test for the grit range you are using....
In general for a re-touch I use only my two highest grit stones...

Hope that helps at least a little Sal...

If you are looking for actual laps counts, and on what stones, they are pretty much useless because of the differences in everyones honing stroke...

Thanx Glen, I found out I need to strop more and that I the Roo strop hanging to low and wasn't getting a good set with the edge. I moved it to a high hanging spot and when doing the TPT I drew blood... both are scary sharp now... But thanx for that info. I know it will help me and others too.