Thread: One Stone Honing.. from Lynn and Glen

Originally Posted by Sando

Glenn and Lynn, thanks for the videos. I've watched them more than a couple times and keep learning something new each time. Probably the biggest tip for me was seeing how much time you put into the 1K. I could hear the hairs literally pinging off your arm!

...Ray

Then you learned the most important lesson I had to offer, if you start with a truly sharp bevel then honing becomes pretty easy and actually fun
One of my favorite things to tell people learning to hone is "90% of the work is in the bevel set"

Glen, you finished your post exactly where my question starts.

About setting the bevel: I read a number of posts where a Norton 4k was to be used for bevel setting. Is it a low enough grit, or is the 1k an absolute must? E.G. can I set the bevel on an E-Bay razor with the 4k (if I lap a lot)? or do I have to spend more money and pay yet another postage fee? (yeah, that's what bothers me more in all that buying: the postage)

Fredo, if time is money, you will save a lot if you get the 1k stone. If setting the bevel is 90% of the work as Glen says( I believe the same) the 1k will pay for itself pronto!

Originally Posted by nun2sharp

Fredo, if time is money, you will save a lot if you get the 1k stone. If setting the bevel is 90% of the work as Glen says( I believe the same) the 1k will pay for itself pronto!

Kelly is of course Dead On above...

There is another vid on my youtube channel about honing with just the 4/8 where I show using a Artificial Nagura and the 4k to set the bevel quite quickly..
You have to understand though, I am pretty fast, and very confident at it so I make it look easy ... It is some work on some razors and not all that fun...

If that is all you have, you make do, just like most of us did when we started, but the more razors you hone the more you come to appreciate a 1k stone

Anytime somebody new asks me about honing I try and give the most consistent path to sharp and the one with the least amount of Flips and Strokes....It just makes life easier for new people that way...

Originally Posted by Fredo456

Glen, you finished your post exactly where my question starts.

About setting the bevel: I read a number of posts where a Norton 4k was to be used for bevel setting. Is it a low enough grit, or is the 1k an absolute must? E.G. can I set the bevel on an E-Bay razor with the 4k (if I lap a lot)? or do I have to spend more money and pay yet another postage fee? (yeah, that's what bothers me more in all that buying: the postage)

You should be good to go....

A lot depends on the condition of the razor.

If it was a good shaver last week/ month the
3K or 4K side of a a 3/8K or 4/8K combo will
refresh the bevel and make the razor ready
for finish honing and stropping. The 3K to 4K
grit removes a lot of steel on a modern hone.

If you have a crufty eBray challenge to hone
then you may need hones as coarse as 220
to get it back.. perhaps power tools too.... OK skip power tools.

In todays world where a little more than $20+shipping finds a
very qualified honemaster most of us will never need
anything more than a fine finisher (8K-12K depending).
A combo hone with an 8K side used with care will
do the task for most of us. Add a CrOx pasted strop
or balsa hone and most of the rest can stop at 8K.
Once a year once in two years a honemaster can tidy it
up if needed.

Thanks for the videos, Glenn and Lynn. As a relative newbie to honing, you've taken out some of the mystery. The speed and ease you two show is the result of the thousands of razors you've honed. My slow speed is a result of the few I've honed.

So, I'm going to try it. What have I got to loose???