Thread: The Two Worst Honing Videos EVAR!

From the looks of it this is pretty much identical to a single beveljapanese knife.
the way to sharpen those is 45 deg angle with respect to the edge of the stone, dead flat on the bevel.
In my experience, then you sharpen perpendicular to the stone its easier roll on the shinogi line instead of being flat on the stone.
I am not sure if this applies to the Japanese razors, but I doubt the technique is so much different.

Neat!

A few questions:

1) assuming that Japan has/had traditional barbers who would use one of these, how often might they sharpen this way? Would they strop in between, or just touch up on one of those periodically?

2) is there any significant difference in the grind or the steel that affects how long these keep an edge? (i.e. longer or shorter than Western razors)

3) why isn't the back-and-forth honing style applicable to Western razors? I've used it before (and circles as well), but only at the early stages - never exclusively.

Thanks Jim.

Like other techniques, I realize this is an art form. Is there a way to get to a certain number of honing strokes on the flat side and a certain or approximate number of strokes on the other side? I know the numbers will be approximates. The other thing is that I am confused by whether you are just back stroking or stropping stroking on the non flat side? I understand like a 10:1 ratio but just checking to see if something like that would apply.

Great effort here.

Lynn

Originally Posted by northpaw

Neat!

A few questions:

1) assuming that Japan has/had traditional barbers who would use one of these, how often might they sharpen this way? Would they strop in between, or just touch up on one of those periodically?

There are still some...I'm guessing you didn't see my "honing lesson from my barber" thread? I'm honestly not sure about the frequency, but there's a story Iwasaki tells about a barber who used one of his dad's razors (I think) that said he shaved 1,032 customers before he had to rehone it.

I do know they strop between.

2) is there any significant difference in the grind or the steel that affects how long these keep an edge? (i.e. longer or shorter than Western razors)
Who knows. OLD_SCHOOL maybe...

3) why isn't the back-and-forth honing style applicable to Western razors? I've used it before (and circles as well), but only at the early stages - never exclusively.
Good question!

Originally Posted by Lynn

Thanks Jim.

Like other techniques, I realize this is an art form. Is there a way to get to a certain number of honing strokes on the flat side and a certain or approximate number of strokes on the other side? I know the numbers will be approximates. The other thing is that I am confused by whether you are just back stroking or stropping stroking on the non flat side? I understand like a 10:1 ratio but just checking to see if something like that would apply.

Great effort here.

Lynn

Thanks a lot Lynn, that of course means a lot from you!
The ratio, according to my barber (the legendary Kawaguchi-sensei), is ten to one--ten passes back and forth flat side down, with one spine-leading stroke on the curved/stamped sidel; of course, he did say "about ten". That could be a result of the Japanese tendency towards "soft" answers, or it might not actually matter that much. I'm planning to visit for another lesson before too long, so I'll ask.

My uncle by marriage is also a barber, but not nearly as traditional, and he said in barber school he was taught not to hone the back at all, but just to strop it to remove the burr.

I have to show my ignorance here--what exactly is the difference between "back stroking" and "stropping stroking"? You do apply the same amount of pressure on the single stamped-side pass as the other. As I understood, it's more of a smoothing technique--maybe just in case a bit of a burr forms? I know some honers of Japanese razors actually try to raise a burr...

I tweaked the numbers a little on this demonstration because my hone is less than half the length of the one he was using...which will one day be mine!!!

thank you for video it is great learning tool for us.
As Lynn mention you are doing opposite side only once and back honing? it is interesting.

Thanks Jim for the demonstration. I haven't gotten into the Japanese razors ..... yet. I have been tempted but I love the western style and well sooner or later I'll probably dip my foot in the water and when I do your vid will come in handy.

My only criticism is that you, like Sham, make a video with a pair of hands and no face to put with it. You've seen the vids where there is at least one shot of the honers features so we can put a face with the name.

Not bad at all! You're too modest!

What's the slurry stone? A Nagura or a Nakayama?

Jim - could you post pictures of both finished sides of the blade? Thanks!

Good show. The sound on the omote was a light pressure sound, but the stone was cutting nicely. cool stone.

Now it looked like you had a bit of struggling with the nagura while showing us a large, flat, white face> why not use that part on the stone?

my new beef: with all the talk of conserving material; is not rotating the stone to use the entire surface evenly. So start doing that.

People Jim explained the terminology in the video. Using it makes things clear. Learn, Love it and use it please.