Thread: Honing terminology

Calling all honemeisters:

I'm a n00b trying to follow some of the posts on here about honing, but I'm getting bogged down in the lingo. Could you guys help me out with a few things or point me to some explanations?

1. Pyramid
   What is this? Is it a technique or is it referring to the number of passes on different hones?
2. 3-3, 1-3, 1-3
   Could someone explain this? Lynn posted it in this thread
   
   Originally Posted by adjustme69

   If you over hone a razor, I recommend simply going back to a 3-3, 1-3, 1-3 routine on the Norton 4K/8K. That usually does the trick. Lynn
3. Wire Edge
   In the thread mentioned above about overhoning, someone mentioned losing the wire edge or something. Again...what is it?

Thanks for your input...and if you think of something else hone-related that could be clarified I'd really appreciate it!

-Kyle

1 & 2. The Pyramid is a systematic approach to honing that has proven extremely successful in getting new honers to have success, and as a starting point from which to alter the standard pyramid for different blades and stones. It is intended for a Norton 4k/8k combination stone and a standard carbon steel blade where you switch back and forth from the 4k and the 8k for a varying number of strokes which is written ... 1/5, 3/5, 5/5 etc. It can be found in the Help Files under Permanent Archives where the rest of the ancient wisdom is stored. (You haven't been reading your magic tomes. )

3. A wire edge is when the edge becomes TOO thin and smooth to provide a comfortable shave. It will shave, but irritate as well. It usually occurs when too much work or too much pressure has been applied to the ultra fine stones, 8k and up. When it happens, you need to go back to the 4k for a few laps and Pyramid back down.

The term "lose the wire edge" in the context it was used is incorrect.
IF you develop a wire edge you WANT to lose it.

X

Originally Posted by xman

(You haven't been reading your magic tomes. )

Yikes...I got found out

Originally Posted by xman

3. A wire edge is when the edge becomes TOO thin and smooth to provide a comfortable shave. It will shave, but irritate as well. I usually occurs when too much work or too much pressure has been applied to the ultra fine stones, 8k and up. When it happens, you need to go back to the 4k for a few laps and Pyramid back down.

The term "lose the wire edge" in the context it was used is incorrect.
IF you develop a wire edge you WANT to lose it.

X

Awesome, thanks for the clarifications!

-Kyle

Isn't "wire edge" synonymous to a burr? In sharpening knives, all the literature I've come across seems to use the two terms interchangably. Is it not the same for razors? or does wire edge mean something different from burr?

You could consider them the same. I think it can be slightly different for the razor because we use such light pressure that the traditional burr where the metal bends over doesn't happen as easily. It can still happen, but I find more frequently that the edge can become oversmoothed and I tend to use that term to describe what others sometimes describe as a wire edge. They're certainly in the same family.

X