Thread: barber hone grit

i think the swaty hones may have some coarser grit in them that can leave scratches, but still tend to leave a better edge than the norton 8k from what others have said.. at least the three line swatys.. the two line swatys are good as well, but i think most people find the three line swatys better.. a two line swaty is still a good barber hone.. the shave test is all that matters..

Originally Posted by tintin

I mean scratches on the bevel.

OK, now we are talking about the same thing. Scratches in the bevel are not necessarily a bad thing, but they can extend all the way to the edge leading to serrations in the edge, so they are not inconsequential--it's just a matter of degree. A Swaty is going to leave visible scratches and, under magnification, a somewhat serrated edge, but it is an edge that shaves just fine.

Originally Posted by tintin

I never tried them before lapping.

Lapping can reduce the quality of a barber hone's surface. I'd rather use one that has its original surface even if it is not quite flat. Opinions vary on this. For many, flatness is paramount.
Especially for a beginner, chamfered edges of the hone will prevent/reduce damage to the razor edge caused by slight rocking of the blade.

Originally Posted by tintin

I used them with lather.

I prefer water with just enough lather to break the surface tension of the water. In other words, the lather should be extremely diluted. This is accomplished by wetting the hone and then just touching a lathered brush to the wet surface and then spreading it around the hone with your finger. Make sure the hone is completely clean of dust and debris before you start.

Originally Posted by tintin

I have honed one razor at a gathering in January and it is one of my best shavers though i haven't used the barbers hones yet.
It didn't seem to effect the quality of the shave much either way.

So you are new to honing. Make sure that you use a very light honing stroke with just the weight of the blade. Try the 4 or 5 strokes a few times more each day followed by stropping and a shave. See if the shave improves. Don't try to speed the process by using more pressure or more strokes. You are better off sneaking up on a better edge with a barber hone.