Thread: Honing Mistakes?

You mean mistakes, as in shit we do that isn't "right"?

Well, I set my bevels as if I'm sharpening a knife (lots of pressure, 25strokes per side, then 15 then 10 then 8 then 6 ....) I can't imagine the time setting a bevel alternating each stroke must take, especially if you need to work out chips.


Or as in actual mistakes... Just now I took a razor that looked like it had a bevel, polished it on 1200, then went to bear 4k/~8.5k Dimohone/~10k Swaty/ ChromOx strop... checking the polish on the edge after each step... admiring the 100x magnification of the edge on the $5 kiddie microscope I got at goodwill... Then I try the HHT... the heel passes easily. Awesome, says I. Try center and toe. Nothing. Hmm... Swipe at a patch of arm hair... wont even cut that.


I just polished an edge to 0.5 micron... that didn't even meet at the center. I may as well have spent half an hour stropping a butterknife on ChromOx. Serves me right for not testing it off the 1.2k DMT.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

My mistake was buying 60 + hones.

Sorry, but I just have to ask -- have you really bought 60 or more hones??

Originally Posted by sffone

Sorry, but I just have to ask -- have you really bought 60 or more hones??

Yes I have. See my avatar....

Jimmy if you bought 60 hones already maybe you want to sell a couple? To say someone like me? You know that way you can have some extra cash to pick up a few more...

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

My mistake was buying 60 + hones.

Jimmy, you took the words right out of my mouth. I was going to post the same thing.....

anything of the above, LOL
(apart from Jimmy's number.... I'm still a couple behind, hehehe)

+1 on flipping the razor with the edge facing the hone, dong it might be more dangerous but it aslso feels more natural.
I think its best to learn to do things the dangerous way if you can do it without casuing damage.
Who dares wins about a second each time. Although if you keep damaging the blade and having to reset the bevel then you probably are not saving much time.

I have not searched the site to see if there is anything written on this. Here is a blurb on an ERN I have on eBay.:
"This razor is one of four in my rotation that demonstrates the "memory" phenomenon of the steel. This phenomenon is why a rotation is used. If the razor is stropped after shaving it will not be as sharp as if it is allowed to rest. In fact if this razor is stropped after shaving and allowed to rest several days it then has the sawtooth thumb nail feel of a freshly honed razor that is ready to strop. One of the things you do not realize till you hone 70+ razors."

I do my razors in batches of 8-10. The first time I noticed this was on a Fabyan Sum-Extra silver steel. The razor was sharp but not hair splitting sharp. I put it aside because it looked like one for the rotation. When I got back to it the razor had a sawtooth feel. When I stropped, it was hair splitting sharp. The stress in the blade had to be put in when honed because the razors I get in have been siting for years. This may be one reason that Lynn advises light pressure.The razors that react this way for me are the Fabyan, ERN, Bresnick New York/Dubl Duck, and a Wester brothers manganese. I do not know if this will change the next time they are honed.