Is it ok to start honing on a SWATY with the toe of the razor on the hone and the heel hanging off? I find the x-pattern easier to use this way. Also I've noticed that a lot of people start the x-pattern with the heel right on the edge. It seems to me that would result in the heel being less sharp as it is on the hone less than the other parts of the blade.
Using a Barber's Hone
- Thread starter Kyle Hyde
- Start date
I don't understand what you are saying. If you start with the heal off the hone and make an X, the heal will never touch the hone. Starting with the heal on the hone and making an X is the only way to get the whole edge of the razor on the hone.
...Unless you make your X "backwards" from the toe to the heal.
...Unless you make your X "backwards" from the toe to the heal.
I use both X patterns. Heel to toe for ten passes then toe to heel ten passes.i believe this gives equal honing on both the toe and heel.
Interesting, Spanx. Have you compared the feel of the shaves with a single direction X to the double direction X? I would think a cross hatched scratch pattern would not shave as smoothly.
Well the one thing i have noticed when doing a single X pattern is that the heel does not shave quite as easily as the toe.The heel still shaves fine but there is a difference to me.I used to stroke the blade straight across till about halfway then a quick X on the second half to finish the stroke.After some practice I found it easier to do two full X patterns with faster results.I think it works the same way as when you restore a blade.Sanding a blade in one direction only makes for a very long day.Sand from multiple directions and you knock it out quick with the end result being a smoother finish.To be honest here i have never shaved with a blade honed by someone else so i do not know how it compares.I can only judge my own work.I do not know if this way is better or if I have just become better at honing in general but I see no reason to go back to a single X.
