Narrow BBW

**JimR** · 04-28-2009, 06:46 AM

So I'm trying to hone up a bigger blade, and I'm have a small touch of trouble with the BBW. My stone is pretty narrow, which wasn't a problem with my DA or my Tosuke, but when I'm using it with slurry on my B&A I have trouble--the slurry keeps running down the sides when I'm honing,and after about 20 passes it's pretty much all gone.

Any tips on stroke control to keep the slurry going? Or should I buy a wider hone?

**Bart** · 04-28-2009, 11:00 AM

As long as there's the thinest layer of slurry underneath the razor, the honing is fine. All that nice slurry running up the blade and in a wave in front of the edge, is good for guiding your stroke, but is not doing any work. So my first tip must be not to worry too soon about it: the consistency of the slurry is far more important that its abundance.
A second tip is adding a very small circling twist to the end of each stroke half, just before flipping the blade. I know there's a honing video somewhere that shows what I'm talking about. The purpose of that little twist is to smear back the slurry that's under the razor and pick it up again when the razor returns after flipping it over.
I hope you can visualize this.

I remember having those same problems, it's something that seem to fixes itself with more experience. I can't exactly tell what I do to keep the slurry on the hone, little things I guess (besides sometimes I find myself unconsiously doing the above twists). Nowadays it's rarely that I need to raise additional slurry, regardless the size of the hone.
Yet the third tip is obviously to raise additional slurry.

Best regards,
Bart.

**pjrage** · 04-28-2009, 11:06 AM

Originally Posted by Bart

As long as there's the thinest layer of slurry underneath the razor, the honing is fine. All that nice slurry running up the blade and in a wave in front of the edge, is good for guiding your stroke, but is not doing any work. So my first tip must be not to worry too soon about it: the consistency of the slurry is far more important that its abundance.
A second tip is adding a very small circling twist to the end of each stroke half, just before flipping the blade. I know there's a honing video somewhere that shows what I'm talking about. The purpose of that little twist is to smear back the slurry that's under the razor and pick it up again when the razor returns after flipping it over.
I hope you can visualize this.

I remember having those same problems, it's something that seem to fixes itself with more experience. I can't exactly tell what I do to keep the slurry on the hone, little things I guess (besides sometimes I find myself unconsiously doing the above twists). Nowadays it's rarely that I need to raise additional slurry, regardless the size of the hone.
Yet the third tip is obviously to raise additional slurry.

Best regards,
Bart.

Bart, would you mind giving just a touch more detail on the little twist? I can't really visualize it? Are you sort of rotating (circling) about the toe? Or maybe backhoning a touch?

**ben.mid** · 04-28-2009, 11:49 AM

Bart, I hope you don't mind me stepping in here, but i believe this is what you're talking about. Right?

YouTube - Razor Sharpening

**pjrage** · 04-28-2009, 11:59 AM

Originally Posted by ben.mid

Bart, I hope you don't mind me stepping in here, but i believe this is what you're talking about. Right?

YouTube - Razor Sharpening

The circular motion just spreads the slurry under the blade.

**JimR** · 04-28-2009, 12:31 PM

Sweet, this is just what I was looking for. Thanks Bart and Ben!

**Bart** · 04-28-2009, 07:40 PM

Originally Posted by ben.mid

Bart, I hope you don't mind me stepping in here, but i believe this is what you're talking about. Right?

That's exactly the video I was talking about. Couldn't remember which one it was. Thanks Ben.

Bart.

**randydance062449** · 04-29-2009, 07:25 PM

Thanks for the question Jim and the video Ben. If I may add that if you would stop your stroke about 3/4" from the end of the hone then you will not be pushing off the slurry. That's what I do.
I will be trying that little circle at the end. It just may be an additional effective method
of slurry control. But...I seldom use a slurry anymore.

Hope this helps a bit,

**zib** · 04-29-2009, 08:00 PM

You know, 20 passes on a BBW seems to be enough with a slurry? How many passes were you planning to do? You can thicken the slurry, by rubbing the stone a bit more, it works for me. When I use my BBW w/slurry, I do 15 passes, then begin watering it down anyway. It does depend on the blade too, but if I need to do more than that, I'd go to a 1k or something. Are you using a 1 inch wide or 1.5? To quote Don, he say's, if you need a slurry, go to a lower grit. I agree with that somewhat. Coti's are different in that respect. The slurry does make them more aggressive, I don't think that 200 passes is ever needed. IMO, that's too much.

I've read that on here before. I have over a dozen different Coticules and BBW's each are unique and different in size. I even have some bouts. Each one cuts differently and looks differently, hard, soft, etc...They are my favorite of the hones. I think they are the most versatile, and offer an edge like no other hone. IMHO.

**JimR** · 04-30-2009, 03:21 AM

Originally Posted by zib

You know, 20 passes on a BBW seems to be enough with a slurry? How many passes were you planning to do? You can thicken the slurry, by rubbing the stone a bit more, it works for me. When I use my BBW w/slurry, I do 15 passes, then begin watering it down anyway. It does depend on the blade too, but if I need to do more than that, I'd go to a 1k or something. Are you using a 1 inch wide or 1.5? To quote Don, he say's, if you need a slurry, go to a lower grit. I agree with that somewhat. Coti's are different in that respect. The slurry does make them more aggressive, I don't think that 200 passes is ever needed. IMO, that's too much.

I've read that on here before. I have over a dozen different Coticules and BBW's each are unique and different in size. I even have some bouts. Each one cuts differently and looks differently, hard, soft, etc...They are my favorite of the hones. I think they are the most versatile, and offer an edge like no other hone. IMHO.

Hey Zib, well, I'm repairing an edge that was pretty much destroyed in restoration, so I need few passes...I think it's about 1.5 inches...40mm, anyway. I just got a 1k, so I'll throw that into the mix next time.

Randy, I'm having more trouble with the slurry running off the sides than the end, but I'll try to keep my strokes a little shorter. More control in general is good, I think!

Thanks for all you help, guys!

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