Thread: Watching The Water While Honing?

I've read numerous comments about the importance of watching the water in front of the edge when honing. I read a post in another forum suggesting that the blade should be "undercutting" the water and that this is somehow different than the edge "pushing" the water. To me it looks like the edge is pushing a small puddle of water. What exactly should one be looking for in the water when honing?

try to keep a small amount of water on your hone so your razor can "glide"

LOL I love threads like this they make me laugh,

"Hey I read this on another Forum, it makes no sense, so can the experts at SRP explain it to me please"

Use the water to watch the edge to makes sure the entire edge is in contact with the hone evenly.. The water can go under the edge, swell at the edge, and "undercut" or ride up on the edge.. Be careful attributing the quality of the edge or the sharpness of the edge to what other people describe.. The stone/hone, the type of razor, slurry, and the speed at which you hone can all change the "water effect" once you learn what your water effect means on your hones and your honing style then you can describe it on the other forum and add to the confusion too
Watch the edge make sure it is touching the hone, let the water effect help you in the observation and you will do fine


In general
If the water is going under it means the very edge is not hitting the hone yet
If the water is being pushed the edge is hitting the hone but still too dull
If the water is "undercut" or riding up on the edge it is very sharp and your are hitting the very edge...

Again be careful thinking in absolutes, many things can effect this

Basically you kinda answered your own question. I watch the water being pushed (if it rides up the blade without going under the edge...undercutting) I have seen the undercutting at times when I let technique get sloppy or not paying full attention and the spine lifts just...Don't do that . I go almost to the end just before the water is going to go off the stone, and begin pushing it back the other direction. If the water is being absorbed by the hone or is getting milky (swarf) I spray some more water and continue honing. .

I like to refer to this as watching the water displacement line along the edge. So long as the displacement of water is following the line of the edge, you are in a good place. When it doesn't, you need to look for why not which could anything from not keeping the blade flat on the stone to excessive wear in either the spine or bevel or a bunch o stuff. With a little swarf on the stone, the displacement it really visible.