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Okay, so i was wondering if i got a new razor and shaved with it then eventually it starts to tug 6 or so months later and needs to get touched up , i would use a swaty or a barbers hone, so then how often would i need to actually hone up the razor like with the norton ect.? i just got a new dovo so dont need to do any of this but was just curious, thanks
Should be just about never. Once I have a razor honed (by someone else; I don't have the experience or equipment to do this myself), I'll touch it up on a barber's hone every six-eight weeks to refresh it. Unless I chip one of my blades, I doubt I'll ever send them out for re-honing.
MrDavid is right. So long as your razor doesn't need too much work, a barber hone will keep it shave ready. Using a barber hone is "actually honing" your razor.
Yep, +1 on what Dave and Holli said. The Norton 8k can be used for touch ups but with a good barber's hone you may get better results at a lesser cost, just for touch ups. Nortons and other hones discussed here on SRP, other than Barber's hones, are used to put the initial bevel and finished cutting edge on a razor.
To go a step further a coticule hone can be used for touch ups using water only and full honing using slurry but the cost may be a bit more. May be worth some research though. In the end you can live very happily with a Swaty Barber's hone, if you don't develop HAD. :)
cool, well then its just a matter of me winning a swaty on the bay, and i should be set , thanks yall
Another member who used to rely on barber hones was Utopian. He posted more than once that he maintained a number of straights for 4 years with only a couple of barber hones. If you are going for a Swaty on the bay try for one that isn't too chipped up. A little edge chipping can be lapped off but if it is a deep chip it may interfere with your honing and be too deep to get rid of. :gl:Quote:
Originally Posted by thewatermark
Also keep in mind that while Swaty is a well known name, they are not the only great barber hones out there, and the name can easily drive up the price. Hi_bud_gl started a thread about lots of different barber hones and what they are like, and he's also extremely knowledgable about barber hones. I'd suggest checking that thread and/or shooting him a PM to see if he could recommend a good one.
Maybe a good Wiki entry would be a few barber hones that are fine and fast cutters so that new guys will have a place to look for suggestions.
+1, very true, I think this is the thread here.Quote:
Originally Posted by holli4pirating
I used a barbers hone for years before I found SRP and all it entails. RAD, HAD, etc.
yeah i def check his thread out thanks
This is absolutely good advice. There a a lot of barber hones that do a great job. Swaty's are well known and are starting to command a premium on e-bay, as are some others. Hi_bud_gl (aka Sham) is the man to see about information. Check the recommended thread.Quote:
Originally Posted by holli4pirating
You're better off looking for them in antique stores, thrift stores, garage sales and flea markets because most barber hones and particularly swatys are usually way - like 400-600% - overpriced in the "scene". It seems a lot of people like to "flip" them.
Lol and I use my Escher like a barber hone so if you really feel like dropping some dough... lol.
Any finisher can be used like a barber hone; a barber hone is really just a faster than average finisher (well, the ones I used were pretty fast, I assume they must not all be fast). The only real difference is average price (usually a result of name recognition, brand or stone type) and maybe availability.Quote:
Originally Posted by khaos
Yeah my Escher is actually a no-name brand vintage Thury I picked up for the bargain price of $40. I've rediscovered it lately and it puts a killer edge on razors up there with the finish I got from an Escher I used at a meet. I think before I just had worse technique but as I get better its really getting there. That said the Swaty is definitely VERY fast and almost as smooth so.
i have to respectfully disagree with this idea. There is a differences between barber hones and final finishing hone escher.japanese.coticule etc. We cannot use barber hones as a finisher. Simple way to explain above is this . Most barber hones advised to make no more then4_6 strokes. Final finishing hones you can make 100 strokes. Another way may be this one easier to understand.edge comes out off from barber hones lastes a lot less then from finisher. Compare days to monthsin order. Hope this helpsQuote:
Originally Posted by holli4pirating
Very few actual barber hones in junk shops and on Ebay in the UK. Those few on Ebay seem to get bid up to 60-70% of new Norton 4K/8K prices.