Thread: what pressure to use on Norton 1k?

Is it okay to use a little more pressure on the blade when using a norton 1k? Sometimes I would like to speed things up a little bit when working on a bevel because they can take a long time. Is it a pretty standard approach to use a little more pressure at the lower grits? How to know if using too much pressure?

-----Michael

Some may say "go ahead and use pressure", but every time I've done it I was sorry I did. I'd rather take more time and get a better result than speed things up. If you are honing a 1/4 hollow or near wedge, it would probably be OK to use some pressure, but I've gotten to the point that the only pressure I use on 1K is the weight of my hand and the blade. I think it is easy to keep the blade flat on the hone this way. Additional pressure may compromise the blade laying flat on the hone. Applying pressure when honing a hollow ground blade will flex it and create wide bevel sides. I find those unsightly, but some don't care about that. Using minimal pressure may take longer, but it's hard to make mistakes that way. I've got time.

I use very firm pressure on the 1K when setting bevels. I normally use a Chosera 1K and the pressure works very consistently on all razor types and grinds. The Norton 1K to me, is more abrasive and if I use it, I do back off the pressure a little. I would say from very firm to firm.

Have fun.

If you want to speed things up,use a DMT1200 to set bevels,or sit back and enjoy the Journey

Having patients while honing is key to getting a good edge. If you find you are loosing your patients it is best to set the razor down and come back to it later or another time. Using pressure is good when used correctly as Lynn mentions above as is good technique and knowing when to switch tools. Some other things to consider are circles, slurry, courser hones, different hones, pay attention to what is happening and revise your technique as needed and when all else fails, put it down and think about what work is being done and what isn't being done and how to change your technique, come back to it later. Remember that part of your tool set is what you learned and what you are currently learning. As honing time increases you will have more experience to use as a tool but you should always ready be learn more. We can tell you the different levels of pressure but it probably will have different meanings to you than to me. Give it a try, see what happened and adjust as needed. Good luck.

I frequently use firm pressure on the 1K, backing off as I reach the end of my honing time on the 1K. The exception is those hollow grounds whose blades are quite flexible. Applying firm pressure will affect the bevel setting angle. The more pressure you apply, the less likely it is that the blade edge will contact and become sharper.

But, to be more basic, I don't think it makes sense to spend an hour on a 1K to set the bevel when you can spend 10 minutes on the DMT 325 (for example) and 5 minutes on the 1K.

Sometimes, the 1K is not the correct beginning hone. And, I suspect many spend unreasonable amounts of time on the 1K because they think that the 1K is the correct beginning hone. Then, out of frustration after hours of work they start applying too much pressure to speed things up.

I like to examine my edge with a microscope or a 30x eye loupe to start. How much pressure ..... or whether I use a 1k at all depends on the condition of the existing bevel, the results of arm hair shaving/popping, the thumb nail test if it won't shave or pop arm hair. Sometimes I don't need to 'set the bevel'. When I do I use a Chosera 1k and use moderate pressure to start and once I have a positive TNT I do a few more strokes and try the shaving arm hair. Once it'll do that I move on up to 4k. Checking with the scope in there as well. BTW, I don't use tape on the spine unless the edge is really chipped up. Then I only use one layer until the chips are gone. So that is one reason I prefer moderate pressure.

Think of honing as a battle. You need the right gear and the intell to execute your plan and the right tactics.

You need to first access the situation and think about the obvious defects in the edge and how you are going to tackle them then as you begin you constantly evaluate and make adjustments in your strokes and pressure and decide when it's time to move on to the next stone and which one you want to use. You also need to know when to retreat when the fight isn't going well and either wait for a better day or develop a new plan of attack.

Just plugging ahead willy nilly hoping to get the result you want seldom works well.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Think of honing as a battle. You need the right gear and the intell to execute your plan and the right tactics.

You need to first access the situation and think about the obvious defects in the edge and how you are going to tackle them then as you begin you constantly evaluate and make adjustments in your strokes and pressure and decide when it's time to move on to the next stone and which one you want to use. You also need to know when to retreat when the fight isn't going well and either wait for a better day or develop a new plan of attack.

Just plugging ahead willy nilly hoping to get the result you want seldom works well.

Great post TBS. Knowing when to move up and when to stop is one of the most important things, and one of the things it takes the longest to learn.

Lynn,

What pressure should I use on a barber hone (Pike,named "The Best Barber Hone"), firm ,moderate or light ?