What Are Advantages Of Honing Circles?

I learned to hone using the traditional edge-leading laps. That's the only method I've used and I get good results. I've followed with interest the trend towards using circles and watched Lynn's and Glenn's videos.

Are circles faster because they remove steel more aggressively? If they are faster I can see a benefit to those who hone professionally. However, for the person who is only honing his personal razors and for whom speed is not an issue, do circles offer any advantages over the traditional out-and-back laps?

I don't know that they remove steel more aggressively, however, they seem faster at getting the blade to where the X strokes do the most good - I hope I have explained this correctly.

I only use straight up and down strokes for bevel setting - the rest of the time I use X strokes.

Having said that, I do a set of circles (don't ask me how many) up and down the hone when I change hones, regardless if they are natural or synthetic.

After that I do 'pigtail' strokes on naturals and X strokes on synthetics, gradually reducing slurry to water as I go.

As with everything in this adventure, YMMV

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Originally Posted by TheLegalRazor

I learned to hone using the traditional edge-leading laps. That's the only method I've used and I get good results. I've followed with interest the trend towards using circles and watched Lynn's and Glenn's videos.

Are circles faster because they remove steel more aggressively? If they are faster I can see a benefit to those who hone professionally. However, for the person who is only honing his personal razors and for whom speed is not an issue, do circles offer any advantages over the traditional out-and-back laps?

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The biggest advatage is they hone out very even, regardless of blade geometry, I can use them on perfect razors, or on warped, worn, and wonky blades.. They also do not tend toward causing frowns like many of the other agressive stokes do..


Easy, Fast and Consistent are secondary to the above


Personanlly I do not use them other then for setting a bevel, but I guess you could... so for the guy just honing their own razors they would only be used once, possibly for the entire life of the razor...

I use both when setting a bevel. I do 20 "japanese style" strokes on both sides, then I go to circles and x strokes. I only do this on the 1k, once I move to the 2k I do 1 set of circles up and down then x strokes through the rest of the grits. I wouldn't do it on a smiling blade, but i (and this may just be in my head for all I know) use it with a blade that may have a small frown or a straight edge to "even things up" I guess. Everyone has their own process, this just works for me and is repeatable so I stick w/ it.

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Originally Posted by gssixgun

The biggest advatage is they hone out very even, regardless of blade geometry, I can use them on perfect razors, or on warped, worn, and wonky blades.. They also do not tend toward causing frowns like many of the other agressive stokes do.....

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Why is that? Because to my brain it would seem like the geometry of the blade would give you funky bevel setting not matter what the stroke other than a rolling stroke. Not saying you're wrong, just wondering why my brain is wrong.

I was thinking last time i honed that the circles could also help with the edge smoothness itself. Using circles reduce the "honing scratches", following the same linear path each stroke would maintain the grooves the grit leaves behind, but circles would eliminate those "grooves". Making a smoother edge at least in the lower grits. I guess that making since, at least on the larger scale it does.

Nathaniel.

Dewey, it is the angle of the blade to the hone (ie slight heel forward to 45 deg heel forward) that makes the circles so efficient on different blade profiles IMHO.

Also, I should have said that I use very little pressure on the circles after the initial bevel set, as I progress up the grits

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Originally Posted by Havachat45

Dewey, it is the angle of the blade to the hone (ie slight heel forward to 45 deg heel forward) that makes the circles so efficient on different blade profiles IMHO.

Also, I should have said that I use very little pressure on the circles after the initial bevel set, as I progress up the grits

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Interesting. Wouldn't that hold true to just normal heel forward x strokes? Again, not arguing just trying to comprehend.

Yes it would.

The angle to keep the blade flat on the hone remains the same whether or not you are using circles or X strokes or 'japanese' strokes.

TBH I usually don't take much notice of the angle to the hone (although I'm aware of it), I just keep and eye on the way the blade undercuts the water on the stone itself - that's what counts.

I didn't think you were arguing, just trying to understand the process (like we all did in the beginning - and I still don't understand most of it...hehehe)

[QUOTE=Havachat45;1050365]Yes it would.

TBH I usually don't take much notice of the angle to the hone (although I'm aware of it), I just keep and eye on the way the blade undercuts the water on the stone itself - that's what counts.QUOTE] :tu


And there it is the true simplicity of honing, and any honing gymnastics required to do this just need to happen.. I find that using the circles at the bevel setting stage make this very easy, you can push the edge setting, do a couple of x strokes to blend, push, blend, push, repeat until you get a nice even sharp bevel... Once the bevel is solid, then I move to x strokes, but I don't see a reason that the circles couldn't be used farther along with lighter and lighter pressure.. maybe a few x style blends some circles etc: Hmmmmmm :hmmm:

Using the circle process is the most consistent process I have ever found, in my experience, to produce great edges on all types of razors every day. Nothing fancy and very straight forward. Learn to keep the blade flat and the appropriate pressure and your in for a lifetime of good shaving.

Have fun.