Thread: Norton Pike barber hone

There is an art to using these hones. I have not mastered mine yet but I can say the amount of laps and pressure determine your success or failure. I use mine dry and then wet. I took chips (small) out of an e-Bay Duck and brought it back to shaving with one of these. The thing about oil is once you use it everything else quits working. Water beads off the surface and lather I have not tested. Mainly because I heard this is what degrades the surface. Not so much from use but not being washed clean after use. I imagine using lather would take it up a notch,, in grit,, so to speak.

I don't have the same hone as you but 1 of 3 others I do have is close I am sure :<0)

You got a good one. Keep at it and you'll love it.

The few barbers I knew well enough to show me stuff in the '80s used their barber hones dry, and their coticules with lather from their lather king machines. Just to do touch ups AFAIK. Never to restore a beat razor. OTOH, we never did get into that aspect of honing.

I find it hard to believe that Norton hone can be 'that' good, but Sham said it is. Too bad they aren't still a stock item if they're that good. Chances of getting one at a reasonable price are slim and none ...... unless someone gets real lucky.

I have used my Swaty "Am Wien" dry for years as a machinist. That for a final edge on cutting tools and knives. I have used barber hones dry with the best results from the resin hones like the Swaty. I have used lather and only water though with no better results.
There are other binders for the grits and they may? behave differently.
My better and best barber hones directions say to use dry and wipe with a damp cloth to remove swarf.
~Richard

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I find it hard to believe that Norton hone can be 'that' good, but Sham said it is. Too bad they aren't still a stock item if they're that good. Chances of getting one at a reasonable price are slim and none ...... unless someone gets real lucky.

Well, I have to report after a couple of weeks ownership that they are great hones. They refine an edge put on by a Shapton 12k and will refresh any razor I've got to a level that surprises me. I've only honed a hundred or so razors all up so I'm still really at the lower end of experience, but I've not seen anything that comes near this little stone. Modine's review on another site gives it a ringing endorsement, indeed he says the scratch pattern is similar to that produced by a Gokumyo 20k. I can absolutely confirm that the edges are terrific. It's a pity that the damn things are so expensive!