Thread: Small stones

Originally Posted by Utopian

In that case, I prefer them to be quite small.

In the case of honing, most barber hones are 2"x5." One of my favorite barber hones is the Carborundum 102, which is 1.5"x4." There are a lot of boxed Thuringian hones that are 1"x 4 or 5."

I was never able to get hooked on my 102. I tried though.

Originally Posted by aaron1234

I was never able to get hooked on my 102. I tried though.

It was easy for me. The first 5 years I used a straight razor I only had a Swaty and a Carbo 102. I was quite lucky to happen upon two of the best barber hones to use for my first hones.

Originally Posted by bouschie

I have one that is about 1" by 2".

I have a translucent Arkansas like that it was a freebie out of a lot and personality I don't think there's any point to mine. It doesn't make a good slurry stone and it's probably a bit pointless for fish hooks.

4x1 is about as small as I care to go. Here's a video honing on a 4x 1 1/4 coticule. I use it as a travel stone

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dCtfSAMvuaY

I have a small coticule, 23x101 mm (a bit under 1"x4"). I have honed a few razors on it (full honing), and found it a doable challenge, if you will. I used to have a 5x20 cm coticule, but sold it as I found it uncomfortably large - too long and too heavy. I have come to prefer thinner hones.

I love small stones. At first, the only reason I got the smaller stones was because I couldn't afford the big ones. Ha! But I have grown to really like small stones, and like the Spender said, they are very nice to hold in a flat hand while honing. I find I have more control using the smaller stones this way. Here's my collection of small stones, not including my Barber hones. The bottom right 3 stones are my favorites and are all 1"x5". My "Magic" Coticule that is very fine, a yellow/green combination Thuringian, and a dark blue Thuringian that is finer than the yellow/green. I've used the dark blue Thuri on the last 7 razors I've honed and the edges I've been getting off of it have been incredible.

Originally Posted by sqzbxr

One of my favorite coticules is a 'La Veinette' natural combination stone that measures in at just under 2" x 4". The last razor I finished on this was a 15/16" Filarmónica Sub-Cero, a snug fit but no problem to hone.

Attachment 223967

Nice coti sqzbxr but I have to ask, by any chance is that ruler a Stanley #32 1/2 ?

Originally Posted by Dcaddo1

4x1 is about as small as I care to go. Here's a video honing on a 4x 1 1/4 coticule. I use it as a travel stone

I have one just like that. It is a good hone.

Originally Posted by Benz

Nice coti sqzbxr but I have to ask, by any chance is that ruler a Stanley #32 1/2 ?

No, it's a 32 - what is the difference between the two?

Here is my smallest hone and my largest razor.
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