The process of honing

[Bk124tt]

I know this is asking for somewhat of a mini novel, but I am more confused now than ever regarding the process of honing. I am hoping one can explain or shoot me a link where there is an explanation.
i thought you rub your razor on a stone to hone your edge. I recently watched a video on B&B of someone rubbing a stone on their stone to sharpen their razor. It seemed it was the slurry that was doing the sharpening, not the stone. When the slurry turned a color it meant something (I'm not sure what though).
Im hoping to get a breakdown of the tools, the steps in how to use the tools & the name of the tools.
i know I am asking alot here, but where else would I find this info?
thanks,
bk

 

[joshua1970]

definitely a lot to cover and being new to honing myself, the best response I can give is to check out this:

http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/Honing

I'm sure you'll get plenty of responses but that will get you started.

re: Slurries, that's a whole other sub-discussion depending on what kind of stone you are using....

 

[Seraphim]

Rubbing a stone on a stone?

Those rock rubbers are taking steps backwards!


Slurries can extend the useable range of a hone by adding more abrasive to the mix. Depending on the slurry rock you use to rub on the other rock (how quaint...) you can also vary the grit level and modify the amount by diluting the slurry however you like. This is part of the reason many can use a coticle as a single hone from bevel set to finishing.


Slurries are not necessary. If, for instance, you hone with lapping film slurries are definitely not required, you simply use a progression of grits. Although experiments have been conducted by using diamond sprays, etc as a pseudo-slurry.

 

[SliceOfLife]

First I use a DMT 600
Then I use a DMT 1200
Then I use a DMT 8000
Then I use a mystery Synth I believe is 11 or 12k JIS
Then I used my Jnat with Tomonagura slurry, finished with the slurry thinned and pushed off (didn't wash the stone though).
Then I stropped on Suede and Cordovan


Alternately:

I use my Mystery synth (suspected 1200-2000 grit) with a matsunaga slurry/cleaning stone slurry.
Use the same stone washed and with water
Use my other Mystery synth (10-12k)
Strop

Alternatively...

Point is, it's not set in stone what you do. As long as you are progressively refining the edge, there are billions of ways to get it where you want it.



And slurry changing color means that it's removing metal from your razor. The color is changed by bits of metal that were removed floating around in your slurry now.



A coticule with a slurry stone and the dilucot method would be my recommendation for a starting honer. I think the 175mm stones are a nice length to work on if you can afford it, smaller ones work fine too, but take more time.