Thread: Questions on buying e-bay barber hones

Hey guys!

I am new to straight shaving, my razor is off being honed so I haven't even had my first straight shave yet. I know though that sooner or later I will have to hone it up. I also know that since I sent the razor to a honemeister unless I drop the razor or clang it on the sink I shouldn't need anything more than a strop and a barber/razor/polishing hone for quite a while.


I see alot of new guys get excited and rush into buying a whole set of expensive norton waterstones, when from what I have learned from doing research on this site, they don't really need anything more than a polishing stone to upkeep thier one razor, they had proffesionaly honed, unless doing a full restore.

and we're back...

There are many threads on SRP about honing : how to hone, pyramid honing, what are the best brands, natural versus man made, etc.

but unlike razors I have seen little to no info on things to watch when buying hones on E-bay. Occasionaly I'll see someone post a e-bay link and ask if this particular hone is any good, but that doesn't help anyone else learn . I have read and watched Lynn Abrahms and Bill Ellis tutorials on buying razors online and learned alot and am hoping to learn as much in this post.

I have learned a few things by searching the forums for example : millions of "swaty" hones were made so never pay over $40 for one, just be patient. These useful tips are buried deep in the archives though and are a pain to search for. So I would like to bring them back into the light and all in one place. I have compiled a short list of questions, if you think anything should be added or can answer any it would be appreciated.

So here goes.....

It would be ideal to buy hones with no chips/cracks etc. sadly though most have at least some damage.

Q:My question is how deep and big can a gash/crack/chip be and the hone still be usable?

Q: Does it matter where the crack/gash is?

Q: I have seen some hones sold in the classifieds that have chips but have been deemed usable because they have been rounded/sanded down and don't interfere with the honing process. Is this just stated because one edge is usable and thats all you need?

Q:Can you repaire it?

Q: So how do you go about "repairing" one of these chips?

We all know (or are learning) the big razor names so...

Q: What are some of the well known hone brands/types like swaty, norton, coticule (spelling?)

Mr. Abrahms and Mr. Ellis warn us to watch for subtle things when buying razors online that newbs (like me) might miss. such as smiles, frowns, overhoning, shortened blade, light pitting on the blade edge.

Q: Does anyone know any subtle things to watch for when buying hones?

Q: I know some high end japanese and natural hones go for hundreds of dollars but for the average barber hone what is a good standard-max price?

Okay this one is kinda just for me

Q: Are the DD barber hones any good? has someone used them and had favorible results? compared to a "swaty" how does it rate?

aaarrrggg! I know I have more questions but they have been forgotten while typing this. So I will end with thanking people in advance for thier time and knowledge!

I'll answer as many of these as I can, and I'm sure other will fill in the gaps.

Originally Posted by mbwhoosh

Q:My question is how deep and big can a gash/crack/chip be and the hone still be usable?

A: Pretty big actually. The size is less important than the shape and location. The main factor is whether or not your razor will catch there one it has been lapped. A gash across the middle of the hone makes it useless. Even a huge chunk out of the edge won't matter, as the edge can be sanded down below where your razor will actually touch.

Q: Does it matter where the crack/gash is?

A: Yes, see above.

Q: I have seen some hones sold in the classifieds that have chips but have been deemed usable because they have been rounded/sanded down and don't interfere with the honing process. Is this just stated because one edge is usable and thats all you need?

A: Sometimes yes. More frequently, it's because the edged are all sanded down so that the razor will simply glide over the void.

Q:Can you repaire it?

A: Sort of, but it's not worth the trouble unless the hone is something really special. Depending on the week, barber hones range from $10-$40 on ebay with no damage at all, and they are quite common. There's just no reason to bother with a seriously damaged one.

Q: So how do you go about "repairing" one of these chips?

A: You can lap your hone well, and sand down the edges to minimize the risk of catching, but that's about it.

Q: What are some of the well known hone brands/types like swaty, norton, coticule (spelling?)

A: The truth is that it's not so important. Once upon a time, these were every day items that most every man own. Millions of them were sold under countless brand names. There are certain brands that are especially revered, but I'll let others list them.

Q: Does anyone know any subtle things to watch for when buying hones?

A: Small cracks that are only visible on close inspection. A surface that appears to be flaking apart. A hone which is heavily glazed from being used too long without lapping. Being glazed isn't a big deal, but barber hones tend to be very hard, so if the whole surface is glazed and it needs a lot of lapping, you'll spend a loooong time flattening it out and getting past the glazing.

Q: I know some high end japanese and natural hones go for hundreds of dollars but for the average barber hone what is a good standard-max price?

A: For your run of the mill barber hone, anywhere from $5 - $60 depending on condition, age, brand, packaging, and the whims of the market that week. As far as specific hones, I'm the wrong person to answer.

Q: Are the DD barber hones any good? has someone used them and had favorible results? compared to a "swaty" how does it rate?

A: Not a clue. but I've seen a lot of them on the bay.

Thanks for the swift and detailed answers V!

My two favorite barber hones are the Swaty and the Keen Kutter Kombo. There are many good barber hones out there and Lynn does have a video that shows a good many of them, it may be in the wiki(dont know) or may be found on you tube. I think VD( please excuse my momentary juvenile behavior) covered the bulk of the basics.

I'm too tired at the moment to address all of the questions but for now I will just say that the DD hones are just fine--nothing all that special, but perfectly good hones. However, because of their name they tend to go for relatively ridiculous prices on ebay so I'd advise
1) that you avoid them if you just want a functional hone and
2) set a high snipe if you actually want one for some reason.

The only reason I ask about the DD hone is because I thought it would be kinda neat to have a "DD starter kit".

I have a DD boar brush that I am gonna rebrush w/ silvertip from thegoldennib.com and have a DD goldedge, which Ron is generously honing (even though I sent him a blade w/both a frown and smile ), and thought if the DD hone was any good it would be a cool little addition. I can't bring myself to pay more JUST because something is a popular brand.

...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.

Thanks guys for your feedback, I am asking the questions now so I can spend a month or so looking for a good deal instead of scrambling and overpaying or buying something of poor quality when my razor starts tugging later down the road.

Originally Posted by mbwhoosh

The only reason I ask about the DD hone is because I thought it would be kinda neat to have a "DD starter kit".

Yup, and that's precisely why they are so much more expensive than the average barber hone.



On a side note, when searching ebay for barber hones, don't just search for "barber hone." You'll get very few results, because they were not marketed as "barber hones" for the most part.

Search for "razor hone" and DON'T buy a "zeepk" barber hone. As hard as it is to imagine, zeepk barber hones are actually worse than their razors.

Originally Posted by VeeDubb65

Yup, and that's precisely why they are so much more expensive than the average barber hone.

Originally Posted by mbwhoosh

I can't bring myself to pay more JUST because something is a popular brand.

Originally Posted by VeeDubb65

Search for "razor hone" and DON'T buy a "zeepk" barber hone. As hard as it is to imagine, zeepk barber hones are actually worse than their razors.

Worse than thier razor impossible! How the heck do you screw up a stone?!

Originally Posted by mbwhoosh

Worse than thier razor impossible! How the heck do you screw up a stone?!

Trust me. They're worse. I've used one.

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.