Thread: Barber Hones?

I'm just a week into straight shaving. It seems from reading around that am going to have to buy a barber hone eventually. What are good brands to look for? Is ebay the best bet? What do I look for, and what should I expect to pay?

Is a barber hone a smarter next purchase than a second straight?

It's generally recommended that new guys stay away from eBay, just because its so easy to pick up a duff item if you dont know what you're looking for!

Also, check out gssixgun's (Glen's) site, Gem Star Customs. He is selling barber hones.

Gem Star Customs - Razors For Sale

Glen is one of our moderators, and he is very knowledgable about the world of straight razor shaving. You can be sure that if you get a barber hone from him, it will be a good one..!

I dont know much about them (other than what they are! ) so hopefully some more knowledgable members will chip in with some advice about them! They seem to be very popular though, and I hear they are excellent for touching up your razors.

If you cant find a barber hone you like, you could also use a different high grit stone. I've heard of other members here using a 10k or 12k Naniwa, a 16k Shapton (I use one of these for my razors), the 8k side of a Norton stone or one of the high grit naturals to touch up their razors, so there are lots of options out there!

Good luck!

There is a "barber hone characteristics" thread in the hones section, and you could also get in touch with hi_bud_gl for info on barber hones (or maybe he'll come post here). He is a great resource.

I'm a newbie as well but already forming opinions, so pardon me for butting in...

I don't think you 'have to' have a barber hone. I get the feeling many don't use them. They're a crap shoot by and large but you can get some opinions on which may be useful by searching the forum as mentioned. Personally, I bought a Swaty off ebay for ~$20 and have already had chance to use it on a razor that started tugging - worked great with just 5 laps! (I also honed a dull razor to shave-sharp using a progression of soft->hard arkansas -> Swaty, but that's another story). It's a safe bet as far as barber hones go. Be patient, they turn up on ebay frequently so don't be afraid to let the crummy ones go (too many chips and what not). I really dig the idea of a barber hone and it's fun, so that was an easy decision for me.

I think many others use a finishing stone to achieve the same purpose (touching up) - the choices are myriad, largely personal and I don't have enough experience to say more about them (although I'm fascinated by coticules and translucent arkansas).

Alternatively, you can get by with a pasted strop as well. I do have some experience there. I made a nice leather paddle strop (super easy project btw) and pasted with CrO - I tried that with another razor when it started to tug - 10 passes and voila', back to super smooth (also put a keen edge on my kitchen knives!). Again, I was intrigued by the idea of paste so wanted to have some fun and give it a go, easy decision. For real cheap and easy you can just paste the backside of a mouse pad or get piece of balsa wood - nothing to lose that way if it doesn't float your boat.

IMHO, there's no right or wrong way to achieve shave-sharp, as long as you get there and you're having fun...


Oh, in answer to your last question, you won't regret a second shave-ready razor one bit!

Good luck. HTH.
-D

One other idea for you -- from one newbie to another. Get one of Rayman's balsa/chromium oxide strops. He sells them from time to time in the classified ads section, and I think he also has a website.

Anyway, I know some people say that these strops don't do much, but I've found they are excellent for giving a quick "refresh" to an edge that has gotten a little dull.

Plus, unlike some of the other solutions here, Rayman's balsa strops only cost $15 or so.

I'd go with Glen before I would Ebay, you'll likely get a better deal and excellent follow-up service (and a pre-tested, lapped hone). Hunting through antique shops, flea markets, and coin shops can be good; but requires a bit of luck and a lot more time and gas...

A second razor can be nice if something happens to your first one. Which to get first depends on how bad you want the barber hone.

A Swaty on eBay can be had for cheap. Or a coticule from Howard.

I think I'm leaning more towards the coticule now.

When I first started I had a bunch of barbers hones but I never used them, I didn't like them. I have one left and that's a swaty the rest I gave away. Barbers hones are just another option for honing. I think there are better choices but some love them. I would just go with a standard like the norton or some of the others out there or even a pasted strop.

If you go for the coticule let us know how you get along with it. I'd like to here a novice's perspective. I like the idea of a do it all stone, not to mention being natural in origin and with a long history...
You've probably already seen the 'coticule sharpening academy' at coticule.be - if not here's the link:

Coticule Sharpening Academy - home of the famous Belgian Coticule Whetstone

Cheers,
-D