Thread: Water and Honing

Hi guys,

I am a beginner at honing and am just wondering if how the water goes up the blade, you can tell that you are done honing at that particular grit level? I feel that I had set a bevel on a 1k Naniwa, and it cut arm hair, although it didn't pass the HHT at that level. I figured I just have to go up to my 5K and 8K and it will get sharper, but it gets minimally sharper at the 5k and 8k level. The shave this morning was okay no the cheeks, but pulled on hair under the chin.

I feel that I am either not honing long enough on the 5 or 8K, or my technique is off. I am not using my hands to hold it down at all. I use some circles and x strokes only.

Any thoughts?

Don't worry about the HHT. Once you start popping hair on the 1k then move to the 3k or 5k. If you don't have a 3k then do a few more strokes on the 5k to help lock in that bevel.

The last time I had that problem were everything was fine but the shave wasn't, was due to a heavy hand. I tend to become heavy handed if I don't eat and my blood sugar drops. But that is just me.

I would just drop down to the 5k and work my way back up although sometimes just hitting my coti again or 8k works just as well. Of course, I always make sure I eat before honing now.

What exactly do you mean by popping hair? Should that just be that you can cut the hair by dragging it across your arm, or that it will cut a hanging piece of hair?

At 1K the razor should cut arm hair at the tops of the hairs and the cut pieces will "pop" away versus the razor having to drag over/pull the hair to cut it. After 1K, you are just polishing the edge and not really sharpening any more...especially when you are on stones over the 4-5K range.

That makes sense. So in other words at the 1K level, it should be able to slice hair not at the root. Sounds like I need more time at the 1k level.

Thanks

Setting the bevel at the 1K range is pretty much the most important part of honing. Yes, you should be able to cut the hairs "easily" at the tops of the hairs, NOT the root next to the skin.

Try to follow this all the way through with the circles and X strokes.

YouTube - Straight Razor Place '09 Convention. Lynn Honing #1