Thread: What am I doing wrong?

I have read tons of honing articles and seen all the videos. I am using light pressure and an x stroke. I put marker on the blade and for some reason the entire surface of the blade does not make contact with the hone. I have lapped the hones, and I have had the bevel set by a professional. I spent an hour doing stroke after stroke and the entire surface of the blade is still not touched. I am keeping the blade flat. What am I doing wrong?

Thanks,
A very frustrated shaver

THE SPINE MAY HAVE BEEN TAPED ON THE ORIGINAL HONING AND IF SO YOU WILL HAVE TO TAPE AGAIN OR SET A NEW BEVEL

Sorry to be a pain, but when you say the bevel was set professionally, do you mean by a honemeister or a knife shop?

If you are doing the marker test and it is showing that the edge is not coming in contact with the hone over the full length is it at the heel and point or elsewhere ? If it is a smiling blade Lynn's suggestion of heel leading with the blade at a 45 has worked very well for me. In extreme cases of radical smiles or warped spines the rolling x is also an option. You can find it in the SRP Wiki here.

Originally Posted by tryonix

I have read tons of honing articles and seen all the videos. I am using light pressure and an x stroke. I put marker on the blade and for some reason the entire surface of the blade does not make contact with the hone. I have lapped the hones, and I have had the bevel set by a professional. I spent an hour doing stroke after stroke and the entire surface of the blade is still not touched. I am keeping the blade flat. What am I doing wrong?

Thanks,
A very frustrated shaver

I would love to help you, but personally I don't have enough info yet...

When you said set professionally, like others asked, by who, and when ????
What stones are you doing these laps on ?????
1 hour on any one stone is to long, even a slow cutting Ch12k should do something after 100 laps....

If you spent an hour honing and the edge isn't touching, something is very wrong. Are you using magnification? My suggestion is to get a Radio Shack Illuminated Microscope for $12 and look to see what you're doing and what effect it's having.

At this point it's helpful to see what is going on
at the edge, as Howard has pointed out. On the
topic of price for optics, though, I recently got
a 30mm loupe from China at $2.85 shipped
on eBay.

- Scott

It was honed by a hoenmiester - and I tried with and without tape - also its the point of the blade that isnt touching

Lift the heel a bit if the toe does not touch the hone.

The fact everyone seems to be overlooking is your very new at this. It could be warped, or maybe your hone isn't lapped proper. could be a lot of things, narrow it down by sending out to one our guys here for an evaluation, Ron AkA "Utopian" is offering free honing, At the very least he can tell you what's up with your blade...