Thread: Sharpening Pyramid question

I agree with Glen - you just need to keep honing and gaining experience.

The real trick with "efficient" honing, in my mind at least, is effective use of tests at the various stages of the honing process. There are many tests out there (see for example the wiki) and not every test suits every person, but developing a reliable suite of edge tests is the name of the game.

My tests go as follows:

<= 4K (bevel setting): Wet thumb nail test. Occasionally arm hair test (touching skin);
> 4K: Wafting arm hair. Occasionally, after final finisher, HHT

The problem with telling people to do this test or do that test is that there are personal nuances with these tests that are hard to convey, and perhaps are even impossible to convey. The trick is calibration - many repeated trials where you carefully note the results of the tests and then correlate those to the subsequent "outcome" (edge). Yes, it starts off a bit "trial and error", but once you find a combination of test results that produce a shaveable edge you will hopefully find that you can direct your subsequent efforts in more fruitful directions (where the tests are concerned), and ratchet your way up toward the most efficient methods for you.

That, I think, is where the pros shine - they know their test/edge correlations, and they know how to hone to get the test results necessary to move them up the grits quickly and efficiently. And that is why, again in my opinion, good honing is as much about (if not more about) experience than talent. And experience only comes with time.

James.