Thread: ruby hone, what is it worth and can I use it?

If you have a DMT D8XX, it'll work great, A D8C will take a while. The Barber hones are the hardest substance known to man...Really, I collect them, Some have chips and it takes forever to get them out....It'll leave it scratched up, you'll need to hit it with wet sandpaper. I start at 220, and work my way up to 1000 on a piece of tile of course. When done, they look brand new...Good Luck...
P.S. +1, They cost anywhere from 15 to 28 dollars or so....

Rich

Thanks for the replies everyone. I have a norton flattening stone on the way, can I use this to lap the Hone flat?

Originally Posted by superbleu

Thanks for the replies everyone. I have a norton flattening stone on the way, can I use this to lap the Hone flat?

Some users have reported that a Swaty (and some other very hard barber hones) can actually wear the Norton flattening stone. Others report no problems using it on hard hones. IIRC, I've seen it posted on 2 or 3 different razor forums. One link.

As always, use a straightedge to be sure the flattening stone is flat before using it.

Over the weekend I used the Norton flattening stone to lap the ruby hone flat. It is now lapped and the pits have all been lapped away.

The surface of the hone feels rougher than it originally did. Should I use progressively finer sandpaper to try to refine the surface?

If so, what grits should I use for this progressive sanding of the hone?

The term "ruby" has been used by a variety of companies in the abrasives business. The chemical makeup of a ruby is Aluminum Oxide which you'll recognize as being the active component of many artificial hones. Is this one? Don't know. For all we know the guy named the company after his wife. I'm not crazy about the pitted surface but it's a fun addition to a hone collection and you can have fun experimenting with its honing capabilities. Enjoy!