Thread: Whipped Dog "Quarter Nortons"

I agree with those who say to save up for full size hones. The small ones make for a lot more strokes which mean a lot more chances of a missed stroke.

Originally Posted by Birnando

That may look like a good deal, but in my opinion it is no such thing.
It will make honing that much harder, and it is hard enough without adding those tiny stones to the equation.
Save up and get some proper tools, these are all but useless to most anyone as far as I'm concerned.

I beg to differ. I bought one of these quarter hones from Larry @ whippeddog, and it works just fine. Obviously you have to make x strokes instead of going straight up and down the hone, but I can achieve shave quality on all my razors with it.

Originally Posted by billyc4362

I beg to differ. I bought one of these quarter hones from Larry @ whippeddog, and it works just fine. Obviously you have to make x strokes instead of going straight up and down the hone, but I can achieve shave quality on all my razors with it.

Noone said you couldn't.
That, however, does not make them good hones, or a good deal for that matter.
They make honing more difficult, not easier.
The risk of riding the edge, especially for a new honer, makes them something I would never recommend.

In addition, multiply the price by four and you will see it is no bargain at all, you are in fact paying more for it given it is a quarter of a full Norton 4/8.

Sure, the honing material in them are just the same, regardless of size.
But then again, if these are all that, then why are most any seasoned honer saying no, get the full sized ones?
Because it is the better deal, that's why.
It will save you from making more errors than you already would on a regular hone, and for what? Saving a few tenners? On hones that will last the average user a lifetime?
Not a good idea!

I agree, IMO not worth it. If they were cut in half the long way thats ok for me anyway. Im sure we could all get used to them though.

Quarter hones are like some idiot's get-rich-quick scheme. The entire idea is unsavory, IMHO. Look elsewhere for hones.

So to sum it up ..... Get a Norton 4/8 full size. You can do just about anything you need to do with that. If you decide later that you don't want it you can just about get your money back. Good luck selling a 1/4 of a hone :<0) IF your looking to maintain your straight get a barbers hone. They are almost to small for me to use but they do a great job and not all that hard to learn.

And I would disagree. While we do appreciate the paid for endorsements, the bottom line is that we really do try to help new guys become successful with wet shaving and wetshaving maintenance as well as provide them with credible and reliable information that will help them on their journeys. There are several can do methods and tools out there that certainly would not be recommended to a new person because the chances of success are limited and prolonged. Again, maybe you can do, but..........

Have fun.

Originally Posted by billyc4362

I beg to differ. I bought one of these quarter hones from Larry @ whippeddog, and it works just fine. Obviously you have to make x strokes instead of going straight up and down the hone, but I can achieve shave quality on all my razors with it.

Originally Posted by billyc4362

Obviously you have to make x strokes instead of going straight up and down the hone,

Please show me an instructional Video or a Thread where anyone with experience says this,,, Please, I am NOT being Rude or Condescending here, I just want to know where this info came from...

I have noticed this in several posts not only about Hones but also about Strops and I am wondering if there is something/somebody saying this, or if it is a case of many newbs just parroting bad info..

If you don't want to link it here, please take the time to send me a PM I am honestly very interested on where it comes from...

Glad this was posted. As a str8 user that owns not even one stone I have had to rely on others for honing. I have been looking at the options an reading the reviews. I saw the 1/4 nortons an thought wow that's a good deal, compared to buying a full set. Glad to see some of the top guys in here saying "eh" mayyyyyybe not the way to go. So heres my question. If all I am interested in is maintaining my edges (send them out for major honing) what stone should be used? 4/8 Norton or 12k naniwa or barbers hone or just crox on balsa or crox on leather????? I know yall see how confusing this is for rookies. I was shying away from the 1/4 nortons strictly because of the size. Figured it was an issue. But at the same time the price point makes you go ooooo wait a minute. Its all a bit overwhelming an confusing IMO. Sorry for the rant just

To just maintain a razor on a budget I would say to take a serious look at some 3um and 1um lapping film. Cheap and easy.