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.

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Originally Posted by trapperjohnme

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

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I'm with you, man!

E

I find the Norton 3x8 too large for my hand. It works just as you say for a few strokes and then the fatigue factor takes over very quickly. Counter top for me while standing. If my back starts to ache, I've been at it too long.

X

For razors I prefer to have the hone on a surface. For knives, I prefer to have the stone in hand doing the movement (Lansky system style).

When I hone my razors, I put the stone on my coffee table and sit on the floor. The hone is usually about a foot in front of my face, so I have a nice up close view of everything. The couch is right behind me so I lean against that; sounds strange, but it's a pretty comfy little setup :)

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Originally Posted by xman

I find the Norton 3x8 too large for my hand. It works just as you say for a few strokes and then the patigue factor takes over very quickly. Counter top for me while standing. If my back starts to ache, I've been at it too long.

X

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X,

Well said!!:cool:

Resurrecting an old thread because I stumbled into doing this the other day and had what I believe to be good results! Some guys trying to get into honing might consider this approach.

First, if you hone in hand, make sure that you fingers are BELOW the top surface of the hone. That way you get to keep all of your fingertips intact.

Second, I prefer to not use fingers to hold the hone at all. Just lay the hone on your flat open palm. This has the advantage of allowing some sway in the hone. If you have trouble keeping the razor flat on the hone, the open palm allows the hone to tilt a bit to adjust to an imprecise stroke.

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Originally Posted by Utopian

First, if you hone in hand, make sure that you fingers are BELOW the top surface of the hone. That way you get to keep all of your fingertips intact.

Second, I prefer to not use fingers to hold the hone at all. Just lay the hone on your flat open palm. This has the advantage of allowing some sway in the hone. If you have trouble keeping the razor flat on the hone, the open palm allows the hone to tilt a bit to adjust to an imprecise stroke.

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I love this technique and Utopian taught it to me. Try it. You will be impressed at how well it works. Thanks for sharing it Utopian.

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Originally Posted by Utopian

First, if you hone in hand, make sure that you fingers are BELOW the top surface of the hone. That way you get to keep all of your fingertips intact.

Second, I prefer to not use fingers to hold the hone at all. Just lay the hone on your flat open palm. This has the advantage of allowing some sway in the hone. If you have trouble keeping the razor flat on the hone, the open palm allows the hone to tilt a bit to adjust to an imprecise stroke.

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I hone like that all the time. Always have! And I know exactly why. Back in the day when I got out of butchering college and got my first job cutting meat, I couldn't afford "bench stones."

We used our own knifes and though we had a service come and sharpen on the bosses dime, when I got my brand new boner back thin enough to be considered a fillet knife... I was $#%&- furious! A guy with a grinder does not a freaking knife sharpener make!!

So I bought "pocket" stones. It was all I could afford. I kept them in my coat and used them via the palm when needed. I was the sharpest dude at the store lol!! Of course everyone wanted to use my blades :(.

Anyway, I am used to palm honing. 2x6 works great for me.

Edit - actually, I still have one of those stone to this day. Its 5 by 1.7. I have sharpened cleavers with stones that size lol. And I have used that stone to help set bevils on more than a few 4/8s. :)

I hone on the table until it's time for my real light finishing strokes, then I place the hone on my flat hand...I do not grip it. I find the holding the hone like this versus on the table, provides more tactile feedback.

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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................

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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.

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Originally Posted by Utopian

First, if you hone in hand, make sure that you fingers are BELOW the top surface of the hone. That way you get to keep all of your fingertips intact.

Second, I prefer to not use fingers to hold the hone at all. Just lay the hone on your flat open palm. This has the advantage of allowing some sway in the hone. If you have trouble keeping the razor flat on the hone, the open palm allows the hone to tilt a bit to adjust to an imprecise stroke.

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Thanks. When I've tried it I was gripping the stone with my fingers well below the surface of the stone. I just looked and saw that's an excels t way to lop off a fingertip! I'll try it just resting in my palm next time

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Originally Posted by Wayne1963

I hone on the table until it's time for my real light finishing strokes, then I place the hone on my flat hand...I do not grip it. I find the holding the hone like this versus on the table, provides more tactile feedback.

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+1 I keep the larger stones (8x3) in a holder on the coffee table. I then go through my nagura progression (on an ozuku ~8X2) on the table as well. When I get to water only or nearly dry super light strokes, I put it in my palm. I find the ability to control the water very useful.

Chris