Thread: Hone without circles?

Thoughts on just using up/down and X stroke? No circles.

I think starting with circles is just quicker and easier and requires less dexterity. They are helpful but not necessary at all.

Originally Posted by ZeroCool

Thoughts on just using up/down and X stroke? No circles.

Nothing wrong doing it hat way, it is just slower.

For me I could not get circles to work at first. When I abandoned them was when I finally started to get a shave-able edge. Everyone is different and the key is finding what works for you. If you can get an edge doing circles keep at it. If not abandon and move onto something else.

I use circles when I need to speed the cutting process. I don't do it in one location on the stone. I use moderate pressure and perform small circular motions while moving from one end of the hone to the other. I must say that I rarely use such an aggressive motion except when faced with a very bad edge that needs an entirely new bevel. This means that I only use it at the lower grits of 1k and 4k.

For me, using circles depends a lot on the blade geometry. If the edge is straight or has a slight smile, then circles work great. However, a more pronounced smile makes circles less efficient. I've got one blade that has a strong smile, and circles are mostly worthless on it. It takes a rolling x-stroke to hit the entire edge.

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.

Originally Posted by ZeroCool

Thoughts on just using up/down and X stroke? No circles.

You might want to check out the JaNorton thread, as there are quite a few ideas and even Vids on just about everything you can imagine...

I know for sure there is some idiot in there that did a vid using specifically no circles "At some point in time"

The Japanese style or BacknForth is very efficient and accurate but in newb hands it also is a fast frown maker so is the "Half Stroke" especially if you do them with your finger in the middle of the blade like many vids show.. Straight up and down the hone is also not a good idea as it also leads to frowns...


Try all of them but you want to master at least one of them,

I spent a lot of time browsing here in 2006. I never saw one circle then. I first saw vids of Lynn and Glen doing circles when I rejoined last year. As I understand it, Lynn started doing them a few years ago.

Michael

Originally Posted by mjsorkin

I spent a lot of time browsing here in 2006. I never saw one circle then. I first saw vids of Lynn and Glen doing circles when I rejoined last year. As I understand it, Lynn started doing them a few years ago.

Michael

Lynn told me about using them a couple of months before the 2009 NC meet up,, and it was that NC meet Webcast where he showed them to everyone.. He had already tested them on 100's of razors when he explained the process to me and I started using them also, They are pretty much foolproof, but a thing to note is like posted above about smiling edges the trick is using the cricles, then blending this together with X strokes or even the Swooping X strokes..

The key word there is "Blending" it all together on the edge... There are other ways obviously, but the circles are fast, simple, accruate, and user friendly, so it is hard to beat them...