ruby hone, what is it worth and can I use it?
I have this ruby hone, I haven't found much info on it.
anybody have any idea what it's worth, if it is usable, and what sort of grit it would compare to?
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ruby hone, what is it worth and can I use it?
I have this ruby hone, I haven't found much info on it.
anybody have any idea what it's worth, if it is usable, and what sort of grit it would compare to?
It’s a touchup hone to keep an already sharpened razor keen (will not restore a very dull razor) it’s the next thing to have after a strop for light razor maintenance.
That Ruby hone is just like the famous Swaty hone at about 12K and this one looks to be in good condition, though it may need lapping.
They show up on eBay now and again and sell for around $20.
Maybe others can share more info
Hope this helps
I can confirm that. I just won a NIB Ruby Razor Hone in an ebay auction for $19.
A question about the pits in the surface, are they acceptable or would you want it smoothed out? I see pitted hones now and again and I pass them by thinking they are not useable for straights.
I used a pitted and scratched hone on a razor with a broken tip once. It could have been me or maybe I didn't see the other nicks in the blade but they certainly became visible and/or deepened after using the hone.
Pits on a barber hone are debatable… Some say the pits don’t affect the edge and still some say the pits help to sheer away any wire that may develop on the edge… as a matter of fact there are a few brands of barber hone with holes cut into the surface, and it is clamed the holes will remove wire from the edge… brand names like “Wireless hone” and “Perforated Razor Hone” comes to mind.
I personally like my hone smooth (unless it was meant to have holes) and lap them out when I can.
In any case most of those old barber hones were sitting in some attic or basement and may get bounced around for many years before ending up in your hands so it would be a good idea to lap them before first use.
Life is like a barber hone: you can't let the pits halt your progress
I had similar trouble with a pitted hone. Be safe, lap your ruby!Quote:
Originally Posted by Vekta
You should be on the safe side and lap it. Unfortunately lapping barber's hones can take a while, but they're very nice little hones to have when you want to touch up a razor in a few passes and shave. I love my Swaty hone!
You COULD probably use the hone with the pitting, I've seen it done, just as long as the razor doesn't feel the pits on the strokes. Still the hone should be flattened.
I don't worry about small pits as long as the razor doesn't hang on them. After lapping it flat, remember to soften any of the hone's sharp edges; to help avoid micro-chipping.
Larger/recurring pits or a crumbling binder might mean some type of chemical damage. Those I don't use.
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?
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by superbleu
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!