Thread: how do i get my swaty hone glass smooth again after lapping

So this is my first time posting and I have been using a straight razor about 3 months and a safety razor before that and I am starting to collect a few hones. right now I have the norton 220/1000 and 4000/8000 and two barber hones. i am wanting to get a finnishing stone but for now I have been using my 3 line swaty as my finnishing stone. when i first got it the back was in pretty rough shap but the front was ok. so i decided to lap the back to take out all the divots in it and went all the way up to 1500 grit wet sand. it seems pretty smooth but does not have the same glass finnish the front has so i wanted to know if there is any way to get back to that level as i do notice a difference in the edge when comparing the front and back. i would just continue to use the front but there is a lot more usable area on the back and the front has a divot or two of its own.

Go to the top right of this page and in the search box type swatty lapping.
There will be a TON of information for you to read through.

I had been looking around awhile and found a lot on lapping but not much on getting the glazed mirror finnish back but i had just been doing a general search for swaty and you are right there is a lot to read. doing the search you suggested did turn up somthing i had thought of but did not know if it was a good idea and that is using a buffing wheel with a diamond paste on it which i just so happen to have. thanks for the search suggestion.

When lapping a barber hone (and I have done about a dozen) I lap up to 1500 or 2000 grit and then apply a petroleoum product and let it soak for a week (I use vaseline on mine).
How to lap a Barber hone. One of the better write ups on the subject done by our very own Modine.