Thread: Feedback

I have a barber's hone that I have used a couple of times and the only thing I could think of was feedback. A friend mentioned that they don't give you any feedback (they must differ some) but mine is like glass. Most of what I read says the the grit rating of these stones is around 8K correct? I have an 5K Chosera and there is plenty of feedback. I guess the question is what exactly is feedback? I know it when I feel it. For me the feedback on a slurried (before dilution) Escher is some kind of otherworldly combination of feedback and slickness. Sorry, can't resist this: any feedback would be appreciated.

Not too long ago I asked for honing help. Turned out I was focusing way too much on the feedback, trying too hard to get it right.

My 4K/8K/16K Shaptons get sticky, though I have yet to find a pattern, and the 1K doesn't feel anything like them. Lightly slurried, it feels as if the edge is almost floating over the abrasives. The Roszutec has the smoothest surface in my hall of hones (or more a cupboard, or half a shelf in a cupboard) and is very sticky, even though it does not remove a lot of metal at all. My unbranded Jnat is quite sticky, but the feeling changes when the slurry starts to dry out. My coticule currently feels just wrong, perhaps the DMT8C left a too coarse surface, it sounds coarse and the sticky feeling is not there at all.
In short, feedback does differ between hones.

I cannot tell from the feel of the hone how far the edge is developed, but I can feel if the entire bevel is making good contact. The sound tells me mostly if I mess up, especially on the corner of the hone when making wide X strokes. A combination of feel and sound does tell me if I missed a spot at the edge (or spine!), when it is not as smooth as the rest.

I'm curious what others will have to say on this


By the way, 8K Chosera, do they exist? You mean Super Stone?

Different stones have different feedback. The Norton 8 gets sticky, the naniwas also. (Ive used both nortons and naniwas btw)CHoseras(what I now use) are harder stones so that stickiness is something I haven't felt. Slightly on the 1k. I set bevels with visual followed by TNT to confirm. My progression is verified by visual, I watch the scratch patterns to ensure they remove the prior grit scratches. Just remember the bevel is the whole thing practically. The rest is just polishing.

Thanks, fixed it...was 5K Chosera

I'm kind of floundering on this thread. What I am trying to address is the relationship between feedback and removing steel. My 12K Naniwa has feedback, the 8K barbers hone has none. Something tells me this should be reversed that one would receive more feedback (tactile and auditory) from a coarser stone than from a finer stone but this does not seem to be true.

The naniwas have a resin(softer ) binder as does the Norton 8k. These I believe have something to do with sticky or suction feedback. I don't own nor have I ever used a barbers hone, but if what Ive read is correct, 5-7 laps max as they cuts fast. I would advise you to look into this further before taking my advice. My chosera 10 k has finer particles than the Norton 8, but they feel completely different.

Barber hones are very hard, almost ceramic like stones. The feed back is there once you get used to them but not as dramatic as some other stones. A very light touch will help you as will watching your water displacement as the blade goes across the stone.

Have fun.

Originally Posted by WW243

I have a barber's hone that I have used a couple of times and the only thing I could think of was feedback...Most of what I read says the the grit rating of these stones is around 8K correct...

It really depends on WHICH Barber Hone you have. Many have 'guesstimated' grit ratings of 12-15K. Some as low as 4K. Some have very noticeable feedback...others do not (especially when used with lather or water). And... they were really designed to refresh an edge that is beginning to tug a bit with a very few light strokes, where extra stropping no longer does the trick.

WP34