Thread: Hitting the "Stone/Hone" Wall and Climbing over

I have given this advice so many times I figured it might be a good idea to create a thread so these "Tricks" would be in one spot

PLEASE feel free to add your own ideas and let's get a ton of info in one spot :


1. Learn to walk away, if a razor has you stumped, learn to walk away, set that razor aside, and move to the next one, or get up and go do something else.. Sitting there Grinding on a razor normally achieves nothing good.. I have read posts where people are putting in more then 1 hour on one hone, that is just too long...

2. Change something up (the ideas below are in no particular order)

2a. Change Hones, Go up a grit, go down a grit
2b. Add slurry or subtract slurry
2c. Add a layer of tape or Subtract a layer of tape
2d. Change your stroke patten, try circles, try X's , try Japanese, try Angled honing, get radical
2e. Try stropping the razor
2f. Try the Magic Marker test
2g. Try killing the edge (Drastic) but it can work for many Chippy razors.
2h. Try using a different brand/type of hone altogether (if you have them)

3. Magnification is your friend, well lit Magnification is your BFF

4. Jumping ahead, puts you behind, basically this really relates to the bevel set, if you say to yourself "Screw it, the edge is almost there, I will catch it on the next stone" you just added work for yourself and you are simply polishing the bevels.. Until that bevel is set from Heel to Toe and set correctly and evenly, jumping ahead is a waste of time...

5. Going below a 1k (approximately) stone for anything besides serious edge restoration (Pre-honing) doesn't really save you time it simply cuts deeper into the bevel and that has to come back out, or you will have a weak/harsh edge in the end.. This is something you either have to trust me on, or you have to do the tests yourself.. Honest, if there was a "Faster" way to set a bevel I would be using it

6. Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast, What does that mean ??? Well it means that doing it slow means that you will get a smooth consistent stroke, by getting a smooth consistent stroke you will hone better and faster
If you try and rush the process, one small mistake sets you farther back, one single mis-stroke or miscue on the hone can erase all your work


This is all I got this morning, I am sure I will think of more after my second cup of coffee I will be back to add them, as I remember them, or as I learn new ones, I hope to read many more from you guys..