Hone Sweet Hone...

Hey guys, I`m obviously going to need a hone at some point but I want to make sure I buy something suitable so I thought I`d ask you lot. :) Someone recommended a Barbers hone but I can only find one on Ebay and it`s for auction, I`d rather do the "Buy it now" thing. Here are a few I wanted to run by you.....
TRI HONE 3 STONE ROTATING SHARPENING STONE + HONING OIL on eBay (end time 23-Jul-10 17:34:16 BST)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/New-Chinese-Wa...item1e5951dfaa

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/waterstone-800...item53dd03fa8d

Are any of those suitable?
A double sided one or something would be good I suppose, so I have two different grade grits.
I tell you what though, I`ve just had a thought. I`ve got an Arkansas stone here and a few large oil stones too, would they not be suitable? :)

Cheers :)

The tri-hone is good for knives but not razors. The third one seems to no longer be available. The second one is used by many members here and the rubbing stone allows for slurry production to speed up cutting. This is helpful given that the Chinese hone tends to be slow. Like a barber hone, it is only useful for maintenance of an already sharp razor. Used this way, it is perfectly fine. However, unlike most barber hones which require just a few strokes, the Chinese hone will require perhaps 25 to 50 strokes for a simple touch up. This is no big deal for the occasional razor though.

Welcome to the world of honing!

Here are my thoughts...

• the tri stone isn't what you are looking for IMHO. It's pretty small, and the grits are likely to be too coarse by a large margin.
  
• the chinese hone can be a good finisher, or used for a refresh from time to time, but it will not be suitable for a complete re-honing.
  
• some arkansas stones are used for honing, but I can't say if yours are suitable
  
• The first hone I can't see, so I can't speak to it with any accuracy.

A few things to keep in mind:
Your hone choice depends on your goals.
Do you want to refresh a razor that someone else has already honed or do you want to be able to completely hone a razor from a dull edge to shave ready.

If you want to be able to refresh an edge, I'd look for a barber hone. They are relatively cheap and able to keep a razor going forever.

If you want to be able to do a complete honing, I'd recommend you look at a Norton 4k/8k combo, or a similar set of Naniwa stones. The reason for this is that these are proven hones. You will have lots of info available on how to prep, and execute a good hone job. If you gamble on another set, you are... well... gambling.

And as always, it would be a good idea to check the wiki articles on honing, and the forum posts to get a feel of what people are using. There are lots of threads that discuss the advantages of each hone, and what a beginner could use as a starter kit. You should spend a few hours there before you bring money up to the bar.

cheers

Dave

Well... My razor is shaving but is a little catchy here and there, something that could well be down to technique from what I`ve learned so far. I`m just after a hone that I can maintain my already "sharp" razor with. Unfortunatly I`ve yet to find a barbers hone for sale anywhere... Is there a way I can acertain if my Arkansas stone is suitable? It does seem to be very very fine.......

Only way that I know of is to test them out... but you will be risking the need to send them out to be fixed.

As for finding barber hones...scroll down to the bottom of the following link... you'll find a couple of barber hones for sale here by a known pro

Gem Star Customs - Razors For Sale

You can find them on theBay, but the same rules of buyer beware that always apply to online auctions from unknown sellers should be kept in mind. *word to the wise... avoid anything that says zeepk, or pakistan in the listing*

The guys have already answered your questions, so I won't repeat.
I wanted to add that I think your problem may have been your search criteria.
If you try razor hone, there are quite a few in amongst what comes up.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Feebo

Well... My razor is shaving but is a little catchy here and there, something that could well be down to technique from what I`ve learned so far. I`m just after a hone that I can maintain my already "sharp" razor with. Unfortunatly I`ve yet to find a barbers hone for sale anywhere... Is there a way I can acertain if my Arkansas stone is suitable? It does seem to be very very fine.......

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Arkansas stones can be difficult because for the most
part they all have the same grain size which is sort of coarse
by razor standards. The very dense translucent and black
stones defy grain size rules because of their density and
with oil and a very light hand can generate a fine edge on
many razors.

If you are still hunting give a hard look at the Norton 4000/8000
combination stone. After lapping the top two millimeters off
both sides and lapping it flat this is a work horse hone. When
used with a pyramid method and light touch will keep most folk
shaving and smiling.

Odd I thought I had put "razor hone" into Ebay? huh... Anyway, thanks guys, that helps a lot. :) One more question, it seems you need to lap the hone after each use. I`m going to need a lapping stone AND a hone at the same time am I?

if you are getting ANY OTHER then a barber hone you will probably ned some way of lapping it
You mention that you dont like auction so good so if in UK/europe
there are sometimes listed some here
www.strop-shop.co.uk for Hone Stones & Abrasives for Sale

I believe GSSIXGUN was selling barber's hones. Drop him a PM and see if he has any for sale. You may also try PM'ing Holli4priating as he may have one or two to sell. This way you will be sure to get a hone for razors. So they don't think you are asking out of the blue you can tell them I sent you over if you wish.

If your razor is shaving but just a little dull, you can restore the shaving performance with a pasted strop. I freshen up my edge every 2-3 weeks with a pasted strop, and refresh the edge with a 12K stone every 2-3 months.

To make a paddle strop, glue a piece of thin leather or balsa wood to a flat strong board or ceramic tile and put a little .5 micron polishing compound on it (not a lot). Most people use the green Cromium Oxide compound, I used FlexCut gold since I had it already.

Just strop as normal for 7-10 round trips and try shaving a sideburn. If it's not super sharp yet, do another 7-10 roundtrips. Doing a bunch more than is needed will result in an overhoned edge with a ragged burr that results in razor burn and fast dulling - that's why you are testing the edge so often.

ps: I've used a "hard" arkansas (not black or translucent) with oil and a extra light touch and it worked OK as a substitute for a 8-10K stone. Use extra oil to cut down on the abrasiveness and make it perform like a finer grit stone.

Thanks guys ! I`m talking to an Ebay seller about this item...
Naniwa Super Waterstone for sharpening knives and tools - eBay (item 280521741028 end time Jul-15-10 10:35:02 PDT)

But before I buy I`ll PM the member that was suggested, thanks for that :) I`ll make sure I have a good look around too before I buy. I does sound like I`ll be needing the hones, a lapping block and a pasted strop at some point though...

On the pasted strop, I've switched to .5 micron diamond. It obviously cuts very well & doesn't get so dang nasty like the paste crox. Lynn had mentioned this, so I figured I would try it. I learned rather quickly that if Lynn says it, it's a fact...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Feebo

Odd I thought I had put "razor hone" into Ebay? huh... Anyway, thanks guys, that helps a lot. :) One more question, it seems you need to lap the hone after each use. I`m going to need a lapping stone AND a hone at the same time am I?

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You can lap on a flat surface with sandpaper, and I don not lap my hones before every use/ or after. I usually only lap when I think that the stone is getting pretty worked over. Also, depending on the condition of the barber hone it may actually need lapping too (likely off of theBay).

Once lapped though, it should be good for a while

I`m speaking to a SRP member about a Hone at the moment, I`m also considering these in V fine X fine and Medium...
Naniwa Super Waterstone for sharpening knives and tools - eBay (item 280521741028 end time Jul-15-10 10:35:02 PDT)
I really want to make sure I get a suitable hone or set of hones here, I`m all too aware what the wrong tools result in......

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Feebo

I`m speaking to a SRP member about a Hone at the moment, I`m also considering these in V fine X fine and Medium...
Naniwa Super Waterstone for sharpening knives and tools - eBay (item 280521741028 end time Jul-15-10 10:35:02 PDT)
I really want to make sure I get a suitable hone or set of hones here, I`m all too aware what the wrong tools result in......

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I looked at those hones and they are the same price as the ones offered by SRD so I would consider that to be a much safer option.

Who is SRD? The Ebay seller has offered to ship them free, if I can get a similar deal then I`ll happily get them elsewhere. I would be a lot happier getting them from a SRP member really....

I'd definately buy from SRD if the price was comparable.

If you choose to go with Japanese stones, remember that the grit rating is much different than American grits. I have a mix that I use, but am aware that a 1k Japanese is about the same as a 2K American grit. The 3/8K Naniwa combo stone that SRD offers would be a great stone to start with if you were limited to a budget.

Oh well I`d have gone straight to SRD if I`d known about it! lol How do I find that then? *Goes off to search the forum*

Cor thanks ! :)