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I was messing around with my Swaty, and noticed that even with shave lather it kinda feels like I'm running the blade over gravel. Never really felt this before, probably because I was using too much pressure or just moving too quick.
Anyway, my question is - is this normal for one of these hones, or is that something to be concerned about?
No, not normal. It should be smooth.
That's what I thought. Will have to discontinue use until I can get that squared away.
Did you lap it?
:nono:
One side, because it was marred and useless. The face with the stamp is still in original condition. Which would give me a good base of comparison had I thought about it sooner. :hmmm:
You can lap a Swaty, but it needs to be highly polished afterward. I lapped mine with no issues. After lapping, I smoothed the coarse side to 600 grit and the finishing side I took it up to about 1500 grit then burnished it like an Ark with a 1½" chisel and water until it was shiny all over. After that I soaked it in oil overnight then wiped it all off. I use mine dry, then dribble some oil on the hone and wipe with paper towel to remove any swarf. Works very well and gives a very shaveable edge.
Yeah, the side I lapped I treated like an Arkansas stone. Put a fine polish on it, then burnished with a chisel. I might not have spent enough time on it though.
Particle size in barber hones isn't that small, and if you lap them coarsely, groups of particles can act like larger particles.
Also, they're intended to be used to thin the bevel and generally not to create a fresh edge. If you use them to thin a bevel instead of creating an edge (and leave the current edge to the linen and leather), you'll be a lot happier with how they work.
Sometimes you can lap them finely and duplicate the factory finish, sometimes you can't recreate what they were originally (not necessarily swaty's, but all barber hones in general).
Generally better to buy barber hones where you don't have to do anything the surface at all (i.e., leave the damaged ones for someone else).
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveW
I'm aware they're not necessarily meant to be used as finishers, but sometimes I just can't help but mess with things. Often times I find it causes more problems than it solves, but I just can't break the habit.
Generally I agree, but I didn't have the opportunity to handle this in person before purchasing it. And pictures can be deceptive. It looked OK in the picture, not so much in my hand. But it didn't cost a whole lot, so I won't feel all that bad about it if it ends up being better as a paper weight/decoration than razor hone.
I'll give it another once over this weekend and see what happens. It can't hurt.
Edit: I rescind that. Won't be messing with the Swaty. Used it dry for a touch up on the blade I thought it had wrecked and both the side I lapped and the untouched side feel smooth as glass. Not sure what I was picking up on yesterday using it with lather. Maybe a hint of trash on it? I dunno. But it does what it's supposed to do, and I have no idea why that razor wouldn't shave because it does now.