Thread: Testing "Apart" Barber Hone

Last night i got a chance to try out the Apart BH. I have to start out by saying that i have a bad case of CRS and i did not go back and read this thread again before using the Apart. So can you say overkill...

The razor i put on the hone was swedish steal that i had honed last weekend up to 12k. My test shave that night was like about half of my razors comming off the 12k, keen but harsh. I just dont know when to stop so i think i do too much on the 12k. But thats another story.

Sense i forgot what i had read here i took the BH to the kitchen sink, got it wet, then touched the tip of the dish soap bottle to the wet stone. Smeared the soap around and started honing with my lightest touch. After about 15 laps i added a couple drops of water and continued. Did this a few times until i wasnt feel8ng the soap any longer. Refreashed the soap and water and went some more. I think i did around 150 laps.
Looked at the edge with my 40x loupe and seen a scratch pattern. I thought it would ha e cleaned off all the scratches, not put some on. I mean the stone is so damn smooth!

Stropped 40 on linen and 100 on leather. I like to strop. Grabbed up a backup razor just encase, and went upstairs to shower and shave. I did my standard prep after my shower and used MDC with a badger brush. Standard test equipment.

The edge felt keen and smooth. Now maybe i over did it on the BH as it wasnt quite as keen as a 12k edge but the smoothness was a wonderful thing! Ive been looking for a stone to calm my edges down a touch without loosing the keeness and this might just be the ticket. I do have a Zulu in the mail and hope to see it some day in the future. It was my next stone to try for a smooth and keen finisher.

I have a Henckel that needs touched up after a lot of shaves so i think i will give this another try and keep it down to under 20 laps if i can contain myself and ill see how it works following directions. Ha.

@Lazarus , sense you know this hone personnaly, is the front with the logo the same as the back? I mean, both sides look as if they have been lapped. I used the front but there is more useable surface on the back.

Originally Posted by Gasman

@Lazarus , sense you know this hone personnaly, is the front with the logo the same as the back? I mean, both sides look as if they have been lapped. I used the front but there is more useable surface on the back.

Yep front and back are the same and both have been lapped. Holy smokes man 150 laps on a BH? Interested to hear how it works "following directions".

I will let you know. But im a man "i dont need no sticking directions". Ha. At least that what i tell the wife.

The instructions on mine say up to five strokes.

Thanks for sharing your findings. We need all the BH reviews we can get!

Originally Posted by wmrayt

The instructions on mine say up to five strokes.

I usually stop at about 15 on BH's except my Panama BH, I'll go up to 30 on that one

Originally Posted by rodb

I usually stop at about 15 on BH's except my Panama BH, I'll go up to 30 on that one

Interesting. Most of the BH instructions warn about doing any more than a few strokes. The Panama box specifically says (IIRC) that you can't over hone on the course side but if you do more than 3 strokes on the finishing (petrified wood) side you'll made it too smooth to cut. I've come across a good number of BHs where exceeding the recommended number of strokes does not cause the world to end. I suspect that there was an element of marketing fluff involved with those stern warnings not to do too many strokes. I think it was a way of emphasizing how quick and effective the BH was.

The henckel i put on the BH had a lot of pulling. Its funny because the last time i used it it was a fine shave. Not too sure what i had done to it to drop off that drasticly.
Anyhow, i put it on the Apart B.H. last night with soapy water and did 30 light as i could laps and then a test shave after my shower. It was better than the last time i tried to use that razor but not even close to a shavable edge.

Going to give it another go tonight but ...

Originally Posted by Gasman

The henckel i put on the BH had a lot of pulling. Its funny because the last time i used it it was a fine shave. Not too sure what i had done to it to drop off that drasticly.
Anyhow, i put it on the Apart B.H. last night with soapy water and did 30 light as i could laps and then a test shave after my shower. It was better than the last time i tried to use that razor but not even close to a shavable edge.

Going to give it another go tonight but ...

It might be that the edge was a bit too far gone and either requires some more strokes or a few passes on something not as fine and then a few final passes on the Apart?

I have a two sided hone (c-mon) that I've used before jumping to the more fine one like the Apart.

Originally Posted by Lazarus

Interesting. Most of the BH instructions warn about doing any more than a few strokes. The Panama box specifically says (IIRC) that you can't over hone on the course side but if you do more than 3 strokes on the finishing (petrified wood) side you'll made it too smooth to cut. I've come across a good number of BHs where exceeding the recommended number of strokes does not cause the world to end. I suspect that there was an element of marketing fluff involved with those stern warnings not to do too many strokes. I think it was a way of emphasizing how quick and effective the BH was.

I'm also figuring that back in the day the average person using a BH might have used heavier pressure than we are. My Panama is the finest BH I've used, weight of the blade pressure and 10-15 laps usually improves an 8K edge