Thread: X-stroke or not?

Originally Posted by roughkype

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When honing with a rolling X, the point is to be sure the heel and toe of the blade get equal time on the hone.

Not quite, the reason to do so is to ensure each part of the blade get good contact with the hone. The time on the hone the heel spends compared to the toe is different, but so is the force applied. He heel gets more pressure down on the hone compared to the toe, but the toe spends more time on the hone.

Originally Posted by mainaman

He heel gets more pressure down on the hone compared to the toe, but the toe spends more time on the hone.

Is this simply because the heel is closer to the tang and your grip, making it more ridgid, whereas the toe is farther away and is influenced by the flex of the blade?

Originally Posted by Joegags

Is this simply because the heel is closer to the tang and your grip, making it more ridgid, whereas the toe is farther away and is influenced by the flex of the blade?

There is more pressure down towards the heel than the toe. The blade is not flexing the way you are thinking, the spine is rigid. You can get flex on the edge side of the blade if you apply too much pressure down in that direction.

Originally Posted by mainaman

There is more pressure down towards the heel than the toe.

Why? Is it because the heel is closer to your grip, and therefore receives more downward pressure as a natural result?

Originally Posted by Joegags

Why? Is it because the heel is closer to your grip, and therefore receives more downward pressure as a natural result?

Yes the bevel has to be on the hone at all times, that means the torque of all forces acting on the razor is zero. That means that the the downward force at the heel is larger than the force at the toe, the pivot point being the edge of the hone.