Thread: One hand or two?

I've been watching YouTube, and some honemeisters there use two hands to hone. To me it looks more comfortable and more stable. I haven't honed anything yet, but when I placed my blade on a balsa hone with some paste, it was much easier to control it with two hands than with one.

I've seen the videos with others honing with one hand, and it looks a lot harder.

Is there a preferred method, or is it just a matter of what's more comfortable for you? IOW, does one method do a better job than another?

Thanks.

Depends on the razors. I have a 3/8"... try honing that with one hand. Goodluck. I tend to go 2 handed... less chance of screwing up.

Its whatever you feel comfortable with. I hold the hone in one hand and hone with the other. Its not like pool where a closed hand bridge is considered superior to an open hand one.

Honing is a combination of both Art and Science. The science part is knowing what stones to use and whatlimitations each one has. The Art part is exactly what you are asking about, what mechanical method should you use to go from dull to finished.
That is totally up to you. I would advise you to pick one and stick with it, at least until you are able to set the bevel, which includes it being sharp enough to go to the next stage, and then perhaps see how the other methods might fit into your confort zone. There are times when I find mixing methods actually help to finish a job.

Good luck,


Ray

I began with two hands and shortly thereafter this topic came up on the forum and I was influenced to go to one hand. I can't recall whether it was one post or whether it was a general consensus but one way or the other I began to use one hand and I've stuck with it ever since.

Like Ray said every now and then I will mix it up and maybe when doing circles I might reach over with the opposite hand and put a finger lightly on the belly of the blade but 99% of the time I'm a one hand honer. I'm not saying that is the 'right' way or the only way, just what I ended up doing.

it is only personal preferences.there is no differences in sharpness of the blade between them.if you want to be a honemeister it is different story.Try hone with non domintat hand or keep gun on your one hand and type text with next and send message lol.good luck with that

Well, I'd like to start out the "right" way, but I watched a guy honing with two hands and he looked so relaxed and seemed to have a lot of control.

I've got some razors coming from eBay to play with and I'm sure I'll figure it out. I guess if I can shave with both hands I can learn to hone with one or two.

The main reason many of us recommend one hand is because if you use two there is a real tendency to apply a little extra pressure with that second hand even if you don't intend to and the result is often times an uneven bevel. Personally I usually use two but sometimes I use one however I have a really light touch and when I use two I shift the second finger as I hone so the same area doesn't get that extra attention. So, your best bet until you really know what your doing is to use one hand.

Well to start with I'm still a newbie, so take what I have to type with a grain of salt. I bought new norton 1K/4K combo and an 8K right from the start. read all the great stuff here, watched all the viedo's etc. I was a machineist for 15 years in the past and thought this would come easy!WRONG! First I tried it one handed and ended up with a nice edge near the heel and not near the point. This was done on a new and very expensive dovo special edition. Then I tried useing my left middle two fingerpads very lightly about midway down the blade right in the belly of the hollow part. Well for me, at least I got the edge even down the whole blade after going back to the 1K to set the bevel and on to the pyramids on the 4K/8K. This worked good for me, but I wasted a little steel off a good blade. I then ordered another new (but not so expensive) Dovo that had been honed by lynn. It was sweet right out of the box, he does it with one hand. So what I have learned is, I have a lot to learn. Darn it! Good luck and best wishes, Ron

I ride my bike with two hands. Tried it with one but I fell off.

And no I hadn't been drinking

I always use a two-handed method when honing. Works for me!