Thread: Backhoning to finish?

Using the .5 micron pasted strops (I use BOTH a linen, and a leather TI pasted strop, as well as the green Chromium Oxide from HA) actually is a version of backhoning, as it does indeed take a bit of material from the blade.

With this thought in mind, and after seeing the excellent edges I am now getting by using the pastes after honing, I had this thought::

If the pastes (hence backhoning) works SO well, then why not end a honing session on the stones with a backhone on the 13K, or a very fine barber stone? It should work about the same as the past in creating that ultra edge! I may try this with a razor soon ....

Any comments guys???

Chaaaz,

I follow your reasoning here. It makes perfect sense to me and that's exactly what I've been doing these days. I have two ultra-fine finishing hones in my bathroom, a highly polished Premier and a "mini-me" combo hone that's got a very fine and ultra fine surface. A few backhoning reps seems to work like 25 on a pasted strop. When restoring an edge on an ebay razor, I no longer have any need for my pasted strop. Seems to work really well. Give it a try and let me know how it goes?

Hal

Chaaaz,

I should add that I use back honing only if the razor is a little bit off. For razors requiring a little more adjustment, I will use a few regular honing strokes and then test again.

Hal

I wish I could remember the exact reasons why it is recommended that you sharpen by slicing with the edge into the hone rather than pulling away from it. It may have something to do with the metal as it is ground off being dragged onto and over the sharpened edge of the razor rather than away from it. It may also have to do with the edge, being the weakest and thinest part of the blade, being more susceptable to to tearing, as the thin edge isn't supported by the thicker part of the blade when you are backhoning. But I just can't remember. Remember also, that the reason you use a backhoning technique on a leather strop, pasted or not, is only because the edge will cut the strop if you lead with the edge. Not because it works better. Just some thoughts.

Thanks for your comments Bob. The cautions about backhoning that you mention may apply to coarser grit hones; I don't think they apply to highly polished extra fine hones, which are a finer grit than some pastes.
Hal

Back honing! Whew! That subject again. It has been discussed extensivelly on the Yahoo SRP site sometime about one year ago. No definite conclusions were drawn at that time either.

The first really useful application of back honing came from David Uthe and Lynn with respect to removing a wire edge. Since some of us have noticed an improvement in the edge after using that technique I would postulate that what is happening may be that the fin is aligned better.
Instead of slamming the edge into the hone (traditional edge leading stroke) and not giving the fin a chance to follow a direction perhaps the back honing stroke gently guides the fin into a more consistent direction? Kind of like combing a tangled mop of hair?

Just some thoughts,

Hyperlinks to backhoning, and wire edges

Hello David,

Your photo of a wire edge belongs in the Files section! It is really a useful picture.
That also applies to your post regarding backhoning. Both are truly useful and the newbies will benefit from them. I know that your post about removing a wire edge has led to my experiencing
a better edge on my razors. I now routinely use a couple of backhoning strokes followed by 5 edge leading strokes as a standard procedure last step on the 8000 hone.


Honing on a Rottenstone pasted strop,

Yes, I agree Randy. Those photographs of Daves are very helpful and would recommend newcomers to study them closely. Thanks to Dave's photos I was able to easily recognize problems I was having when honing and checking my progress with my own scope.

Hal

For those not familiar with the Yahoo! site, this is what they are talking about:







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