Thread: Shaving direct off the hones

I've never done it, myself. The way I think of it is two-fold:

1. I don't shave off anything other than my finisher, so for me test shaving off anything less than my finisher (for example to compare sub-finisher stones) is pointless;

2. Whenever I shave I always strop. To me it is how a finishing stone behaves in conjunction with a strop that matters. If I want to compare the edges of finishers, they get compared through the lens of a strop: to me, a shaving edge is a stropped edge.

I'm not saying I'm right, I'm just saying that's how I think of it. I guess it boils down to what you think a strop does. I will say, though, that if you think a stropped edge negates or removes the differences in edge-feel between two finishers, then you've got to wonder why we worry about the relative merits of finishing stones at all....

James.

Originally Posted by mainaman

This is not shaving off the hone, as you are using foreign substance to impart the final edge.
We are talking shaving of the hone with no extra slurries etc. Unless I am missing your meaning?

So shaving "off the hone" is with water only? I guess I misunderstood the question? Sorry about that!

R

From everything I have read it sounds like a fun experiment ending in the same result except for one instance. There is a guy on you tube that has this nano super 0.0005 micron diamond spray paste with nano/glass rag to go with it. Never before done and superior to all. The micro scope proves it from the scratch marks disappearing to one very shiny surface. He was very excited about it ! My first thought was "yeah, then he strops it. "

My point is ....Strop then shave.

I've done it occasionally to convince myself that my honing isn't getting worse... More usefully to test one barber hone vs. another. Since finding my favorite finish hones, very rarely.

I always strop 60 or so laps when I want to really enjoy the shave.