Thread: What exactly is overhoning?

Does it cause a wire edge, a crumbled edge, or an edge that goes dull quickly when shaving? I've read all three in reference to an "overhoned" edge.

I got to thinking about this a lot for some reason... I just took a razor and once the bevel was set, did 400 laps each on: Norton 4k, 8k, and Naniwa 12k. Then I did 100 laps on a CrOx strop. I checked the edge after each grit and after the stropping. I couldn't find anything "bad" about it. It seems that I just used WAY more laps than what I needed to get to the same result.
This is just one razor, and it's the only one I've tried this with. Maybe a different razor would have completely different results.

Anyhow... What exactly is overhoning, how do you recognize it, and how much does it take to make it happen???
(In the meantime I am going to experiment with a few more razors to see how much damage I can or can't do with high laps.)

In my view overhoning is formation of a burr. if you break it off it's a crumbled edge, if not, it's a wire edge.

With some steels I've seen microchipping when I hone carefully so that I don't create a burr, in this case honing beyond what the steel can support as a nice edge is to me overhoning as well.

I recognize overhoning with a high quality microscope, so far I haven't had to figure it out due to a bad shave.

The only hone I have ever overhoned on is the DMT1200. As Ivan said, a burr formed. I would call that a wire edge. When the wire edge comes off, the bevel is imperfect, and it must be re-finished.

I don't have a microscope, but I could see the wire edge with my naked eyes by reflecting light off the bevel. I can also feel the wire edge come off if I remove it with my thumbnail (similar to doing a TNT).

I really think one is much more likely to underhone (meaning not fully set the bevel or not take the edge as far as one can on a given hone) than to overhone.

I find it to be when you hone so much (approx. 400 laps each hone) that your eyes sink in, your skin goes pale and you get grumpy face. In other words: zombification.

I have never experienced overhoning personally, but then again I don't see why it could ever happen. It seems to take so many strokes that the waste is enormous.

Originally Posted by deighaingeal

It seems to take so many strokes that the waste is enormous.

Wait till you get some nasty ebay specials. When the steel has to come off, the steel has to come off. Or just a really aggressive hone can do it too.

Using the method that Glen taught me last year I have removed some serious chips in little time while never once overhoning. I don't know if it will work on all steels, but Glen had confidence in it and I know he hones more each year than I ever will.

Originally Posted by HNSB

I just took a razor and once the bevel was set, did 400 laps each on: Norton 4k, 8k, and Naniwa 12k. Then I did 100 laps on a CrOx strop. I checked the edge after each grit and after the stropping. I couldn't find anything "bad" about it.

But that 5/8 razor was a 7/8 when you started

I agree with you guys that overhoning is the creation of a bur. I'm a weird guy who actually looks for the bur when setting the bevel then removes it before honing, mainly because I like to use Arkansas stones which seem to create them more readily than the synthetic water stones. I believe that experienced guys like holli can get a good bevel set without forming one; wish I could do that.

This is actually pretty simple. The problem is we confuse "overhoning" with lots of strokes.

This is a fundamental reason that people have trouble with honing.

Take a 220 grit stone on a shave ready razor, do a few passes, then look at the edge with a microscope. Then, you'll see and feel "overhoning".

Overhoning is an effect, not an action.

Barber hones sit pretty close to the grit point that prevents overhoning. Hone all day and there is no effect.

Lots of guys go even further than that in grit level.

If you think of the idea of overhoning, without immediately jumping to thinking about using a lot of strokes, then you can begin to understand "overhoning".

On this forum you will here the words, something like this: "you've got to get a good bevel". That is the rally cry against "overhoning". Overhoning is NOT a separate issue that can only occur on high grit hones. In fact, it is very hard to produce on higher grit stones.

Overhoning is failing to transition to a higher grit stone when called for and then damaging the shape of the bevel and edge in the process.

For a straight razor, overhoning is usually caused by a few strokes on 4K. Overhoning is usually not caused by 100 passes on 12K.

I don't think I've ever experienced over-honing.

I worry about it off my DMT 1200 (which I use for bevel-setting). So I generally dull the razor after using that hone once the bevel is done.

With a coticule, it's pretty easy to regain a shaving edge from that point. With cotis, Japanese naturals, and Charnleys, I've never been able to over-hone.