Thread: Hone without circles?

I know some people think circles are too aggressive. I use that technique for some razors sometimes before I go to the x stroke. That and back and forth strokes. The thing is to know that it is a means of removing more metal quickly and do it with care. If you've got micro chips, or worse, or you're setting an initial bevel, it is a handy tool to have. For general honing I pretty much stick with the x stroke. OTOH, I'm not honing 20 razors a day or a week and I'm not concerned with how long it takes to get there.