Thread: Questions on buying e-bay barber hones

Originally Posted by Pyment

I have a couple of barber hones I haven't gotten around to lapping. I would be willing to sell them - a Pike EZ-hone and a Swaty.

I will be keeping my Swotstien and the Apart hone.

PM this guy^^^^^^^!

Originally Posted by mbwhoosh

...also in case anyone asks a DD strop is out of the question. Fist off because buying strops off e-bay is a NO-NO since most people don't know how to shipp them and either roll them up or bend them sharply. Second the vintage strops are very thin and I like my 3' TM ( it's purdy ) and thirdly...well like I just said I already have a strop.

I respectfully disagree. I went through a period of strop acquisition disorder. I was cured by an SRD Premium 1 with the luxurious leather and the webbed fabric. Before that in addition to Tony Miller's and Hand American's Old Dog, I accumulated Dubl Ducks, Red Imps, Koken, C-Mons, Wester Bros, Beau Brummels, and various others.

Some of these were thin and supple while a few are thick and relatively stiff. These are vintage 24" pro barber strops. The key to buying them is to look carefully at the photos, ask questions before you bid, and explain to the seller how to properly ship them and tell them that you will pay extra for their trouble.

Collecting strops isn't for everyone but if you lean that way it is fun to experiment with different strops although IME they are all good if they are a quality product to begin with.

although I didn't read the thread in detail, I did have a DD hone in my hand the other day

it had a very synthetic feel, similar to a Keen Kutter no15 or some carbos
the two sides were nice, but the same thing can be had in other hones

and it was small


I'd rather a Swaty
OR
save your money and buy a long Swaty
I saw one on ebay go for $27 recently

carborundum is highly underrated and should be given consideration

Originally Posted by gratewhitehuntr

although I didn't read the thread in detail, I did have a DD hone in my hand the other day

it had a very synthetic feel, similar to a Keen Kutter no15 or some carbos
the two sides were nice, but the same thing can be had in other hones

and it was small


I'd rather a Swaty
OR
save your money and buy a long Swaty
I saw one on ebay go for $27 recently

carborundum is highly underrated and should be given consideration

My long Swaty is bad to the bone. If I was unfortunate enough to only have one barber hone that would be it. I have a DD new in the box. I've never used it and TBH I don't know where the hell I put it. I will have to dig it out of the debris in my cave and give it a go. I'll report back if I ever find it.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Dubl Ducks, Red Imps, Koken, C-Mons, Wester Bros, Beau Brummels, and various others.

God help Jimmy at least 7 +.

Wow I didn't think this thread would get off and on topic so quick

Thanks for the offer pyment I sent you a PM

Jimmy- I still haven't got to the shaving part let alone start collecting!
I know they made some long strops back then did you ever come across any wide strops like 3' or bigger? It is good to know that some people on e-bay are willing to listen and help make sure you get what you want

Thanks for all the feedback guys!

The barber hones that I kow are good are the Swaty, Apart and the Frictionite 00. There are many others that are also good as touch up hones and a few that are no good for touch up's (Little Devil, Crown...or was it the Champion?, most of the carborundums except the one's made specifically for razors.

Ya, the DD dual grit can get pricey. I have one that is NOS and original in box etc and my price is $75.

The Frictionite 00 has gone for over $140! I have 2!

Don't worry about chips along the edges, just sand them out on a belt sander. As mentioned, a badly glazed hon can be tough to clean but try using spray on oven cleaner before using the lapping method.

Hope this helps,

Originally Posted by mbwhoosh

Jimmy- I still haven't got to the shaving part let alone start collecting! I know they made some long strops back then did you ever come across any wide strops like 3' or bigger?

I've never seen a vintage strop that wide. Referring to the old mass produced barber supply strops. All of my vintage examples are 2 1/2 by 24". I've seen some "vintage" Tony Miller's on ebay that had a different logo and I think they may have been 3". I'm not sure who came up with the wide strop or when they did. Could've been Tony or maybe Keith (Hand American) ?

I should add that the high priced frictionite was mint complete with green cloth bag, rubbing stone and instructions.

Here's my deal: Pretty much anything will do you fine. Swaty's have a good name, and I'll say I love mine. Actually I just lapped another- and its the same. Lapping is a bitch though, but worth it. I'm gonna +1 GrateWhiteHuntr on carbos being underrated. Haven't used one, but those who have typically don't complain. Just remember lower numbers mean finer grits IN GENERAL. I think the consensus is the 102, followed by either the 103 or 101. If you were to buy a 132 though, it would be very rough.