Thread: Barber hone vs Escher/etc

Good Point, I've been kicking around the idea of the Japanese Naturals and Escher. They are pricey, beside being extinct, Are they worth the investment. When I get one, will I be overwhelmed and say, "Oh my God, Where have you been all my life" Will the Escher or Nakayama give me the best edge money can buy. I've been happy with my Coti's, BBW's, Nortons, C12k, Naniwa's, DMT's, Barber Hones, etc..So, I do have HAD.
I've been debating on pulling the trigger on this Escher, it's 450 bucks. I'm not sure that it's worth it to me for a finisher? What do you guys think.

PJ, I'm not trying to hijack your thread, along the same lines here buddy.....

Originally Posted by zib

Good Point, I've been kicking around the idea of the Japanese Naturals and Escher. They are pricey, beside being extinct, Are they worth the investment. When I get one, will I be overwhelmed and say, "Oh my God, Where have you been all my life" Will the Escher or Nakayama give me the best edge money can buy. I've been happy with my Coti's, BBW's, Nortons, C12k, Naniwa's, DMT's, Barber Hones, etc..So, I do have HAD.
I've been debating on pulling the trigger on this Escher, it's 450 bucks. I'm not sure that it's worth it to me for a finisher? What do you guys think.

PJ, I'm not trying to hijack your thread, along the same lines here buddy.....

$450 is pretty damn expensive, and you are getting into the realm of diminishing returns.

I bet that an expertly honed razor on a coti, Nakayama, Escher et al. would all feel identical shave-wise on identical razors. Once you figure out how to squeeze the maximum potential from a good finisher, you plateu.

That's not the point with the HAD though... it's all about the process: the feel of the hone, the history, the smell, size, colors etc.

It's a gourmet's (and sometimes gourmand) perspective really.

No problem zib... FWIW, I'm really really digging my vintage thuringian quite a bit. I don't think I've yet used it to it's full potential, but I like the edges off of it quite a bit better than the coticule alone or the chinese 12k. It's also way more fun to use. It's much softer and smoother feeling than the coticule or chinese 12k, which both feel hard and scratchy to use. I also really like the size of it a lot. At 6x1, it feels perfect in my hand for finishing. The only size I could imagine liking better for a finisher (at this point in my honing journey) might be 6x1.5 - just a tad wider. But really, I'd have to try and compare to see for sure. I might still prefer the 6x1 after trying, but for now, this is just right (for me)