Thread: Hone in Hand

How many of you have tried holding the hone in your hand?

I have tried it a few times in the past few days and am finding that I seem to have more of a finesse between the blade and the hone. The pressure is better regulated as the hand seems to move the hone in coordination to the blade. There seems to be more control with holding the blade in constant contact with the hone. The X pattern seems to come easier. You can also move the hone in relation to what the blade is doing. This above method, I believe, works better only if you are applying light pressure. If you are developing a bevel I think that I would place the hone on a table top.

I have had good luck honing with the hone on a table top as most of you have done. Holding a 3 X 8 hone can get a little cumbersome but isn't bad. The little hones like the Barber hones work real well as do the smaller Eschers or Belgians.

One thing you need to watch for in using this method is to watch out you don't come off the end or side of the hone and cut yourself.

Happy Honing................

I do that all the time. I also find there is better feedback and control. Just try to hone 1-2 razors at a time, because the Norton can get heavy Barber hones are easier to "handle"...

Nenad

I have better control on the tabletop...must be all those years of sharpening knives. I put my 4000 and 8000 in waterstone holders I got from Woodcraft.com, and they work great. I guess everybody finds their own way of doing it.

I guess once you get accustomed to a certain routine that works for you. Personally I find if I hold the hone in my hand its difficult to keep the razor in constant contact with the hone so I get consistant results. Its the table top for me.

I've tried both. I pretty much suck at honing either way.

Originally Posted by trapperjohnme

I've tried both. I pretty much suck at honing either way.

I'm with you, man!

E

Originally Posted by str8razor

How many of you have tried holding the hone in your hand?

I have tried it a few times in the past few days and am finding that I seem to have more of a finesse between the blade and the hone. The pressure is better regulated as the hand seems to move the hone in coordination to the blade. There seems to be more control with holding the blade in constant contact with the hone. The X pattern seems to come easier. You can also move the hone in relation to what the blade is doing. This above method, I believe, works better only if you are applying light pressure. If you are developing a bevel I think that I would place the hone on a table top.

I have had good luck honing with the hone on a table top as most of you have done. Holding a 3 X 8 hone can get a little cumbersome but isn't bad. The little hones like the Barber hones work real well as do the smaller Eschers or Belgians.

One thing you need to watch for in using this method is to watch out you don't come off the end or side of the hone and cut yourself.

Happy Honing................

I've just started honing recently. My first couple of attempts were really bad ...

I tried with the hone on the bench and couldn't get the blade to stay flat when I was doing X strokes. Now after some experimentation (I'm still a novice at this though) I tend to leave the hone on the bench for setting the bevel (doing circles seems easier on the bench) but then when I have set the bevel I pick up the hone and continue with it in my hand. Like you, I find that it's easier to maintain contact with the whole of the blade if I'm holding the hone.

After bevel setting I use a Shoubudani Type 100, so it's nice and light to hold.