Thread: Great grandfather's old barber hone

That thing is worn!

I would lap the less caved side if possible. Still wouldn't be a sterling looking hone either way. I hope you do get it working. Barber hones are pretty cool tools.

Is a hone that has been worn down that much from tool use a good idea to put a Razor to?
My understanding is once you " lap away the very thin top part if them that your hone is not usable any more especially for razors. I,m just asking, I would keep it cause of what it is, put would be concerned for my razors edge. Tc

TC it really depends on the hone. Almost all of them were made with homogenous material but the surface prep made it work better. After gentle lapping the surface can be reconditioned and burnished and may still work just fine--but it will be quite thin and fragile!

How do I reconditione it after laping? I don't have much experience with barber hones...
The front side don't need much laping, so I think it can be laped without breaking it! but it will be thin... but right now my main concern is to get rid of the nasty oil.

Originally Posted by JackeHj

In oiliness, they are pretty much the same, but the back side is more worn. A bit hollow in a place actually so I dont think I can lap it flat on the back side without making it too thin... Unfortunately... Here is a pic:

Attachment 230522

But the good news: I tried the bowl of dish soap and it seems to have done a pretty good job. I will let it be for a couple of days to let it rest and see if any more oil comes out on the bottom side and maby repeate the dish soap process once more if needed!

It did change color a bit after the bowl, and left with some dark spots. Hope my phone pic can show it to you...
Attachment 230523

More than likely, your cleaning it "revealed" spots that were already there. You did not cause them.

Originally Posted by Hirlau

More than likely, your cleaning it "revealed" spots that were already there. You did not cause them.

Yeah, I figured that.

Since it has been used with oil I would continue to use oil with it and not worry about residue oil.

I would try it on a blade but not your heirloom one to see if the woodworking tools have burnished it smooth.

Originally Posted by 32t

Since it has been used with oil I would continue to use oil with it and not worry about residue oil.

I would try it on a blade but not your heirloom one to see if the woodworking tools have burnished it smooth.

That thought have also entered my mind. But the thing is that it was covered with thick messy oil, like it have been used to sharpen oily parts from some machine or something (what machine or what parts I have no idea, but thats the feeling I got from the oil)... So this is why I want to get rid of as much oil as possible, and if I cant get all out, Ill se how it works with honing oil! Thanx for the tip!

I think that you can remove the thick outer layer of oil buildup but doubt if you can remove all of it soaked inside.

This is my take of Barber Hones and welcome any corrections or input.

They are made with relatively large grit particles as far as razors are concerned. When they are made only the tips of these mountains are at the top of the matrix that holds them together so they act much finer. When you lap one the matrix is much easier to remove and goes first exposing more of the course material. This makes them act more like the courser grit that they are. This can be solve by lapping with a finer paper or using a chunk of metal such as a knife blade to wear them down smooth again. This would have already been done by the wood working tools that you mentioned and is I think of trying it as it is before lapping.

Tim

Originally Posted by 32t

I think that you can remove the thick outer layer of oil buildup but doubt if you can remove all of it soaked inside.

This is my take of Barber Hones and welcome any corrections or input.

They are made with relatively large grit particles as far as razors are concerned. When they are made only the tips of these mountains are at the top of the matrix that holds them together so they act much finer. When you lap one the matrix is much easier to remove and goes first exposing more of the course material. This makes them act more like the courser grit that they are. This can be solve by lapping with a finer paper or using a chunk of metal such as a knife blade to wear them down smooth again. This would have already been done by the wood working tools that you mentioned and is I think of trying it as it is before lapping.

Tim

This would explain my previous experience with a barber hone... Thanx!