Looking for a touch-up hone

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Originally Posted by JimR

...and if you get a known one like a Swaty they're pretty reliable...

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Also, (if it wasn't already crystal clear that most of us are in favor of barber hones) I would add one small thing to what JimR said here. While he is ABSOLUTELY correct, almost any vintage razor hone will do the job extremely well.

I have a 2-sided "Amaloid" razor hone* that I briefly considered selling after I got my shaptons, but it's just too handy to get rid of.

These things were sold under dozens, if not hundreds or even thousands of brand names, and the vast majority of them are GREAT.


The only ones you really need to stay away from AFAIK, are some of the new products that are sold as barber hones, but are in fact pieces of petrified dog turd, like the Zeepk brand razor hone, or the chunks of rock glued to a stick.


*I said "razor hone" because that's what almost all of them were sold as, and if you go looking for them on ebay you have to search for razor hone instead of barber hone, or you won't find many. After all, these were not specialty items for barbers, but every day household items.

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Originally Posted by Utopian

Also, no properly honed razor should need a touch up after only a week.

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I am sorry to say I agree 100%. if razor honed right it will last at least 3 months without hone. you can just strop and go head shave with it. At the moment i am doing experiment with my ti i use only that razor and have been shaving for a week it still as sharp as when i started.
I think problem is everyone wants to get blade as sharp as possible. Looks like Looking for the BEST SHAVE EVER as a result your blade gets almost overhone. From that type blade you can get very nice shave for a 2-3 shaves and then edge starts to dull. Next you end up going to hone again.
(Please note we are not talking about chinese or pakistany or some crappy razors/)

Since there are so many other people defending barber hone usage I'll address the third question as to why honemeisters don't use them. They don't use them because they are most often not doing a simple touch up and they have complete honing systems to take a razor to a level beyond where most barber hones can go.

When I am doing a full re-sharpening on any of my razors it doesn't see the barbers hone either but for quick re-freshes and even for a final finish right at the sink I use my swaty. It is only one of three barbers hones I have used with success the second doesn't put as fine a finish on a razor, I would call it a coarse barbers hone, I don't use it often because it is much slower than my waterstone at doing the same job. The Swaty sees use over my third barbers hone which is a lithide hone, I like the swaty because it is larger and faster at its job, but either works equally well at providing a comfotable edge.

So...barber's hone is still in the running. But I am afraid of the potential risk of a barber's hone damaging the edge and unlike Undream et al. I won't know (no experience). As such, the cost would be $20 for the (bad) barber hone + shipping razor out for honing + honing service itself + return shipping + cost of another barber's hone, possibly to repeat again. By the time I'm on my second hone, I'll have paid half of what a JP natural would cost...what's the proper analysis here?

Is a japanese natural stone overkill for a casual honing job?

Because a barber hones cuts VERY slowly, you are actually less likely to damage your edge than with almost anything else.

As far as getting the wrong barber hone, I can help you out with that. All of the following hones would work very well, and range from $6.00-$50.00 most between 10 and 30.

Antique Everkeen Straight Razor Hone JPH Co Ready 2 Use - eBay (item 290337018415 end time Aug-09-09 18:48:12 PDT)

2 VINTAGE RAZOR HONES SWASTIKA RAZOR HONE STONES *LOOK* - eBay (item 330349388096 end time Aug-09-09 09:50:38 PDT)

Vintage O- SO-EZE Razor Hone DOUBLE SIDED - eBay (item 400065443873 end time Aug-09-09 16:21:46 PDT)

Vintage SWEET'S Razor Hone DOUBLE SIDED - eBay (item 400065443994 end time Aug-09-09 16:23:09 PDT)

ZENITH BARBERS DRY embossed RAZOR HONE sharpening stone - eBay (item 250475029526 end time Aug-09-09 18:19:26 PDT)

MINT STRAIGHT RAZOR HONE - eBay (item 110420884543 end time Aug-10-09 17:00:35 PDT)

STRAIGHT RAZOR HONE IN BOX - eBay (item 110420885190 end time Aug-10-09 17:03:10 PDT)

Vintage KING MIDAS Straight Razor Dbl. Sided HONE Stone - eBay (item 360178092505 end time Aug-14-09 16:40:38 PDT)

STRAIGHT RAZOR HONE IN BOX VAN AMP - eBay (item 120457119953 end time Aug-15-09 10:58:29 PDT)

Vintage Pearlduck Double Duck Razor Hone Dry Stone - eBay (item 300336147664 end time Aug-15-09 11:27:30 PDT)

Personally, I'd get one of the 2-sided ones, just because having the coarser side allows you to touch up edges that are slightly worse that usual, but still don't need to be fully re-honed.

would a shapton pro 12k work?

Well, yes an no.

It goes without saying that a shapton pro is VERY expensive compared to everything else you've considered.

Also, they really need to be lapped on a reliable surface, so either a $250 DGLP or a $40 DMT.

Plus, a barber hone, a small sized coticule or other small natural finishing hone is easier to keep in the bathroom than a 3"x8" shapton.

However, 12k is a reasonable range for a touch-up hone. Although, I wouldn't use my shapton over my barber hone. I have both*, and when I need a touch up, I reach for the barber hone and not the shapton.


*Okay, to be fair, I have the 16k glass, not the 12k pro, but we're still in the same neighborhood.

In terms of cost, the Nakayama stones I'm favoring are more expensive than the Shaptons, by quite a bit.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, I think that the difference between a slow, hard natural stone and a barber's hone is that the barber's hone will get the job done quick (8 laps or less) and dirty (coarser; take off more steel than really necessary), whereas the natural stones that are slow and hard, give better resolution (take off as little steel as possible) but in so doing take much more time (maybe 10 minutes). So do you want a burger to go? or a nice sit-down meal at that sushi place downtown?

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Originally Posted by VeeDubb65

Well, yes an no.

It goes without saying that a shapton pro is VERY expensive compared to everything else you've considered.

Also, they really need to be lapped on a reliable surface, so either a $250 DGLP or a $40 DMT.

Plus, a barber hone, a small sized coticule or other small natural finishing hone is easier to keep in the bathroom than a 3"x8" shapton.

However, 12k is a reasonable range for a touch-up hone. Although, I wouldn't use my shapton over my barber hone. I have both*, and when I need a touch up, I reach for the barber hone and not the shapton.


*Okay, to be fair, I have the 16k glass, not the 12k pro, but we're still in the same neighborhood.

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Originally Posted by Ichinichi

would a shapton pro 12k work?

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I should say every single finishing hone will work but there is only 1 small problem.
When you start this thread this was the headline.
" Looking for a touch-up hone "
Now if you are looking answer to that questions answer will be barber hone. There is a lot different grit size barber hones available. Some above 12k range some below.
Touch-up - is a barber hone before you shave you make no more then 2-4 strokes and start to shave. that is it.

if you are asking about final polishing stone then that is a totally different question starts with coticule ends up God knows where. .
hope i was clear.

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Originally Posted by hi_bud_gl

I should say every single finishing hone will work but there is only 1 small problem.
When you start this thread this was the headline.
" Looking for a touch-up hone "
Now if you are looking answer to that questions answer will be barber hone. There is a lot different grit size barber hones available. Some above 12k range some below.
Touch-up - is a barber hone before you shave you make no more then 2-4 strokes and start to shave. that is it.

if you are asking about final polishing stone then that is a totally different question starts with coticule ends up God knows where. .
hope i was clear.

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The division between touch-up and finishing/polishing stone is blurry to me. I'm going off of what is written on the wiki:

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Later when it comes time for you to learn how to maintain your straight razors edge, all you need then is a final polishing hone.

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If the only task you want to perform is refreshing edges that have previously been established by a Honemeister (the process is often referred to as "touching up" on SRP), you need only get a fine grit finishing stone or a barber's hone for this. Either of these hones can be used to keep your razor(s) shave-ready for years.

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Taken together, this indicates to me that Nakayama, Barber's, Coticule, Shapton 12K are all options. But at this time, I am not interested in dropping cash for stone after stone.

So, is my dining analogy below correct?

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Originally Posted by Ichinichi

In terms of cost, the Nakayama stones I'm favoring are more expensive than the Shaptons, by quite a bit.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, I think that the difference between a slow, hard natural stone and a barber's hone is that the barber's hone will get the job done quick (8 laps or less) and dirty (coarser; take off more steel than really necessary), whereas the natural stones that are slow and hard, give better resolution (take off as little steel as possible) but in so doing take much more time (maybe 10 minutes). So do you want a burger to go? or a nice sit-down meal at that sushi place downtown?

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