Quote Originally Posted by AFDavis11
I've read a little about thumb testing but the more I want to stop overhoning and the more I want to improve my honing I realize I need to learn what it feels like when you guys do a good thumb test. I understand the basics but, for example after reading the barbers manuals again last night (I love those things) I want to ask a question or two.

One, my edges stick to my thumb nail and "dig" no matter what. When I touch the blade to my thumb (the skin at the ball) it feels sharp. More honing it feels sharp, less honing it feels sharp. I know I'm supposed to wet my thumb for 20 seconds, but what am I supposed to feel? How does a blade feel sharp, or sharper, or less sharp? The only sensation I have is the edge of the blade moving in between the ridges of my fingerprint. Do I need to feel the blades sides somehow too? I mean if I gently touch a kitchen knife I can get the same sensation, so what am I missing? Can anyone describe the feeling of sharp?
I didn't start having success with honing until I learned the thumb and thumbnail test. As far as I could tell, the various pyramids and so forth were a brute force approach that would eventually get you there with a lot of work and unnecessary wear on the blade. i 'm still pussled when I see a recommendation to do hundreds of strokes when I know with proper testing you could probably do it in 20. It's OK when you're first starting out, but at some point you should have a sense of what you're doing and not just be taking a shotgun approach. The thumbnail and thumb test let you do that.

Just remember not to go back to the nail after you're on the thumb.

The quickest way to calibrate your thumb is to practice with a fresh single sided razor blade... i rub the thumb very lightly across the blade and I'm looking for the edge to grab my thumb and move with it. At the same time, if you use the test as you're honing you can actually feel a sharp edge forming. The blade is ready when you feel a sharp edge and when it rings when you move the thumb across.