X stroke blade placement

[raccoonandbrush]

When I hone using the X stroke, should the shoulder be on the hone or just the heel? When I tried doing the X stroke on my strop, I tried putting the shoulder on the blade too, that way the heel could spend more time on the strop. When I tried it, after the shoulder left the strop, the rest of the blade took a little dip because of the way the razor is constructed. When I eventually decide to hone, should I put the shoulder on the hone or just the heel for the reason I mentioned above?http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/index.php/Straight_Razors

 

[Munxcub]

You want the entire edge/spine to be flat on the hone/strop at all times. The X stroke is done when the hone/strop surface is less wide than the razor, to ensure the entire length of the blade gets treatment.

If putting the shoulder on the hone/strop lifts the edge off, or changes how flat i sits, I wouldn't recommend doing it. (keeping in mind I'm a newb at straights.)

 

[Legion]

When I do it I keep the shoulder off the hone. You will get uneven honing at the toe end because there is that part of the stroke where the heal edge is not touching. Start and finish the stroke with the spine and edge flat on the hone.