Thread: Honing X-Pattern?

I've been watching Lynn's excellent DVD and I just finished the section on honing. I noticed that the standard X-pattern that Lynn demonstrated had the heel of the blade being pulled off of the long side of the hone early in the stroke, while the center of the blade and the toe spend all or most of the stroke on the hone. My question is, it appears that different portions of the blade are getting honed by different amounts; wouldn't this lead to an uneven edge?

Just a newbie wondering . . .

Here is a tutorial on honing from the 1961 barber manual excerpt in the SRP Wiki help files that addresses that issue and tells how to deal with it.

Originally Posted by mdwright

I've been watching Lynn's excellent DVD and I just finished the section on honing. I noticed that the standard X-pattern that Lynn demonstrated had the heel of the blade being pulled off of the long side of the hone early in the stroke, while the center of the blade and the toe spend all or most of the stroke on the hone. My question is, it appears that different portions of the blade are getting honed by different amounts; wouldn't this lead to an uneven edge?

Just a newbie wondering . . .

I've actually wondered that, too, about the X stroke.... How can the heel develop the same sharp edge as the toe when it is on the hone for less time than the toe during the stroke?

Try it....you'll like it.........

Lynn

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Here is a tutorial on honing from the 1961 barber manual excerpt in the SRP Wiki help files that addresses that issue and tells how to deal with it.

Yes, I've seen those excerpted pages before. Curiously, it shows the blade leaning back a bit during the X stroke as opposed to being perpendicular with the hone... why is that?

Originally Posted by dpl2

Yes, I've seen those excerpted pages before. Curiously, it shows the blade leaning back a bit during the X stroke as opposed to being perpendicular with the hone... why is that?

the idea is that you run every part of the blade on the hone. Every part of the blade touches the stone at one point. If the blade is perfectly straight that will be true for the whole blade at once. Unfortunately most blades are not straight and not the whole blade touches the stone at once, to compensate for that you use the X-stroke.

Originally Posted by mainaman

the idea is that you run every part of the blade on the hone. Every part of the blade touches the stone at one point. If the blade is perfectly straight that will be true for the whole blade at once. Unfortunately most blades are not straight and not the whole blade touches the stone at once, to compensate for that you use the X-stroke.

...and...although we try, sometimes the whole stone isn't flat either.


I've often wondered this myself, but I've come to two conclusions.

1. I'll cross that bridge if I need to (uneven wear)
2. These guys know waaaay more than me, and there are other areas (the basics) of my honing I still need to perfect, so I take 'em at their word.

Most the time though, I do the slanted straight stroke since I lap my shaptons often. Also, it's what I feel I'm better at. I don't think I keep my pressure as light/even when moving the blade in more than one direction.

Originally Posted by mainaman

the idea is that you run every part of the blade on the hone. Every part of the blade touches the stone at one point. If the blade is perfectly straight that will be true for the whole blade at once. Unfortunately most blades are not straight and not the whole blade touches the stone at once, to compensate for that you use the X-stroke.

I've understood the diagonal stroke is used because it produces better cutting "teeth" as opposed to running the blade across the stone in a straight line... Could be wrong there, of course, as I've always used the X stroke and therefore never compared it to straight across the hone stroke....

Originally Posted by dpl2

Yes, I've seen those excerpted pages before. Curiously, it shows the blade leaning back a bit during the X stroke as opposed to being perpendicular with the hone... why is that?

When actually doing the stroke heel leading keeps that area on the hone a bit longer .... I think .... depending on the length of the hone of course. A 4" hone is going to have an almost vertical stroke while an 8" is going to be more angled. I believe ....IIRC... that even if you think that you don't appy pressure a bit more pressure is applied to the heel when the stroke begins whether the practitioner is aware of it or not.

I have made a conscious effort since reading the above linked manual to apply a bit of pressure at the heel, none at the mid point and a bit at the point. Very little but some. A great honemeister once told me, referring to the X stroke, "I don't know why it works ,,,, but it does." It he doesn't know than I certainly don't, from a scientific point of view, but it works for me down here on the ground.

As Jimmy said the heel gets more pressure therefore even with shorter time on the stone you affect it the same as the toe which spends longer on the stone but with lighter pressure.