Thread: how do barber hones feel...

water or leather most of them.

I have the original instructions from an old Swaty box in work. I'll let you know Monday.
I do believe it's wet or dry. I always use my Barber hones dry 3-5 laps.

Timing! I was just about to post that I picked up a Swaty on the bay recently and am waiting for it to arrive but wonder where it fits in the lineup of grit values.

I have the 4 Norton stones (220 to 8K) as well as a 12K, Belgian Blue and coticule combo, a pair of strops devoted to pastes. and now the Swaty. I researched the Wiki to see roughly where that Swaty fits in with the others (as in the coticule wet is similar to the 8K). But the Wiki doesn't have the Swaty in the table of approximate grits.

I assume the Swaty is roughly 12K but am not sure. Anyone know about where it fits in that collection of grit values?

you are right it is approximately 10-12k but remember there is 2 line and 3 line swatyes out there.
3 line should be a little finer.
Jimmy HAD has swaty instruction if i am not making mistake. i will check i may have too.

There are two different sets of Swaty instructions here in the SRP Wiki image files. Scroll down for the images. One set of instructions is in mid page and another at the very bottom of the page.

I am at work so I can't access the instructions I have that came with my long Swaty but IIRC it said dry, water, lather, or Swatoil. I suppose that is a fine honing oil.

The barber who gave me my first Swaty 25 years ago used it dry as a touch up stone. I have used it with water and dry. I wouldn't dream of putting oil on one.

Originally Posted by hi_bud_gl

Some barber hones intent to use dry only . if you use with water it doesn't do the job properly.

Which ones? That would be good to know.

Originally Posted by Johnny J

Which ones? That would be good to know.

sorry there is no way someone can tell all the names out there.million barber hones made and who which ones are dry. i am sure double duck double side hone is a dry hone. ipsipaatch dry hone too. i couild make mistke on name in last one.etc.

I would suggest using a Swaty dry. Lather is my preference on my Carborundum. As a general rule I look at the overall surface of the hone and determine if it appears glass flat or slightly "rippled". If "rippled" I would suggest the lather as a buffer. This is assuming you are finishing and not, say, honing the edge up from slightly dull.

I would also suggest that dry hones should be wiped down and cleaned very often.

My barber hone says wet dry or lather i've been touching up on coti dry that works great i think i like the dry honing it seems to work .I don't like lather honing it sems to stop my blade getting on hone by clogging under neath.

One thing, I didn't see noticed here is that some barber hones if lapped too much will become really coarse even if you lap them with a fine sandpaper or dmt xf. I like using glycerin soap lather on my swatty it kinda loades up the hone and gives a finer finish.