Thread: Honing pressure

I saw a post about the amount of pressure used when stropping and wondered if anyone has ever put a quantified measure of what is heavy, moderate, light to no pressure when honing. If one of the really experienced honers had one of those food scales that could be zeroed out when something is place on it like a hone then we (new to honing) people would have an idea of what amount of pressure to use. I know that the amount used would vary slightly according to each persons technique but could give a starting or reference point. Anyway if one of the experts is bored and wanted to play around with a hone and a scale please post the results for us. It would be really helpful if more than one honer did this so we could see the range of responses for each amount of pressure. I know I would be really interested in the results.

D

AHHHH D, you know I forgot to try this on a scale!

But since I'm sitting here around razors and hones, I did some playing.

The heaviest I use is about the amount of pressure I can apply without straining if I was to put the hone onto the table top such that, in order to hone, my right arm is fully extended out to the side (pretend like you are flying as a child would). (If you want to try this, I'd suggest using a dull razor and a high grit hone and doing some circles to feel what it's like.)

It's also about the amount of pressure I can comfortably apply for a long period of time without getting tired or straining if I was to hand hold a hone right in front of my chest.

It's also the lightest possible I can go AND still see full flex on the muscles in the webbing between my thumb and index finger.

I figure each of these three will vary for every individual, so I'd recommend using whichever is LEAST.

For really light pressure, I'd say something between the weight of the razor and 0 (a little upward support on the razor). I think this is what some guys refer to as negative pressure, but negative pressure has no physical meaning (but let's not get into that again....)

But I don't use either my max pressure or my min pressure. I go through the range. On the 1k may start with max, once the bevel feels sticky, I'll gradually lighten the pressure until I get to my min. On the 5k, I start at or near max, and gradually lighten to min. On the 8k, I start just above min, and lighten to min. Upwards, it's min only for me.

Originally Posted by Dllandry

I saw a post about the amount of pressure used when stropping and wondered if anyone has ever put a quantified measure of what is heavy, moderate, light to no pressure when honing....

I'm game! I grabbed a razor and simulated honing pressure on my postal scale. The range was between 3 pounds and 10 ounces down to 2 ounces. Something like this...

About 3 pounds... when removing frowns and aggressively removing metal without too much concern for bevel shape.
About 8 ounces... when setting the initial bevel on my DMT 220.
About 3 ounces... when honing on my Naniwa 12K at the beginning of my 12K honing.
About 2 ounces... when honing on my Naniwa 12K at the end of 12K honing right before going to diamond on felt and leather strop.

I don't go from 8 ounces pressure suddenly to 3 ounces. Rather, the finer the grit the lighter the pressure. There is a gradual decrease in pressure.

Of course, these are gross estimates. But, it is what you asked for. Use at your own risk!!!

Great just need a bunch more people to chime in

I'm looking forward to reading this thread as it develops.

I hone quite a lot these days, but to put numbers on my strokes on various hones with various razors would be difficult for me.
I find that it is all about feedback from the stones.
Some razors requires more, other a lot less. And it varies all thru the progression of stones.
It even varies on the same stone, with the same razor, depending on the, to me, all important feedback.

Originally Posted by Birnando

... I find that it is all about feedback from the stones. Some razors requires more, other a lot less. And it varies all thru the progression of stones. It even varies on the same stone, with the same razor, depending on the, to me, all important feedback.

Yes, and because of this I thought about not giving any quantification. But, just like we don't worship blade angle - sometimes flat and sometimes 30 degrees, we shouldn't worship any numbers I give or anyone else gives. Hopefully, quantification will move more closer to good practice than not.

Originally Posted by LarryAndro

Yes, and because of this I thought about not giving any quantification. But, just like we don't worship blade angle - sometimes flat and sometimes 30 degrees, we shouldn't worship any numbers I give or anyone else gives. Hopefully, quantification will move more closer to good practice than not.

Yes, I fully see your point
Just to be clear about my post, I was not in any way criticizing anyone who had, or will, post numbers on the various strokes
they use.
I was merely stating that I found it difficult to do so.
If I gave anyone any other impression, please accept my apologies!

Originally Posted by Dllandry

Great just need a bunch more people to chime in

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I am in full agreement with the concept of feedback. The moment the water rolls up over the entire length of the blade and/or when the blade feels like it just sucked down onto the hone is the moment I crank down to zero pressure or as close to it as I can.

Lately I have been balancing my hones on a small object about 1 1/4" in diameter, then hone without tipping the hone off the object. There is a YouTube video showing this method which will teach just about anyone what no pressure means.

Then there is the old saying, "Lighten up". So I did.