Barbers/Finishing Hone - Newbie

[MichaelM]

Hello,

I'm usually in the shallow end of the pool (been shaving for 2 weeks with the str8, and just got a full-face in), but I wanted to come down to the experts for a minute!

I've been getting some advice from my barber (a 50-year vet) on using the str8. He suggests a hone stone in addition to strop, and said that you should ideally get one that best suits your razor.

I'm using a Dovo 6/8 full hollow "special."

Does anyone have a suggestion for the stone that would best suit this? I am just looking to refresh the existing hone - not to sharpen fully.

Thanks in Advance.

-Michael

[gary haywood]

I have honed quite athew dovo specials on coticule with no problems. there loads of choice. You could use 12k naniwa. they are nice and consistant so i've heard. Most finishing hones would be fine with your dovo. What did the barber use in his day. I have been a barber 22 years and my mate is a vet barber he and his dad used coticule only they called them milk stones.

[holli4pirating]

At some point, you will need to touch up your razor. Whether you choose to do it yourself or have someone else do it is up to you. A barber hone, or any other finisher, would be suitable for the job. Since many of the really good barber hones recieve a lot of press here and elsewhere, they tend to be on the more expensive side. You alse have to track one down.

For these reasons (and size, which is a personal preference) I usually recommend a current production, full sized hone. The Naniwa 12k is my personal preference (cuts quick, readily available, not too expensive), but any good finisher will do the trick.

[zib]

I agree with Gary. All the stones he mentions are excellent choices. Another stone that will help keep that razor sharp is a Barber's hone. These are small hones that are hand held. Swaty is a brand name. Normally, 3-5 lapps on one is all that's needed to maintain your edge. I use mine daily, and it keeps me from doing any major honing for some time.
A Shapton 16k, A Naniwa 12k, or even the Chinese 12k, a much slower finisher will do.

[gary haywood]

I have two barbers hones , i never tryed them . One is a 3 line american hone which is new. the other is a ezy edge. have you heard of these rich. I'm just wondering if they would be ok to use. the size is realy nice and i have used them with some old razors just to see how they feel. they feel real smooth when slid across the surface. Just you read some are not good for the job some are.

[JimmyHAD]

Going along with the previous posters, a coticule, a high grit synthetic such as a naniwa 12k or a barber hone are your best bet. For strictly touching up a razor a barber hone is probably the most universally used by the old pro barbers themselves.

Unfortunately they aren't made anymore and you'll have to go on the used market to find one. They are mostly all good but do vary in fineness and can be as expensive as one of the other alternatives listed above. Swaty, Frictionite, C-Mon, and dubl duck are a few of the brands that are well thought of buy those who use them, including me. Here is an archived thread with many examples shown and discussed.

[JimmyHAD]

I have two barbers hones , i never tryed them . One is a 3 line american hone which is new. the other is a ezy edge. have you heard of these rich. I'm just wondering if they would be ok to use. the size is realy nice and i have used them with some old razors just to see how they feel. they feel real smooth when slid across the surface. Just you read some are not good for the job some are.

Gary, what I've been doing with barber hones ..... sometimes, is after a first pass if the razor could stand a bit more keenness I have a variety of barber hones handy. I grab one and do four or five round trips on the dry hone before the second pass. The Swaty, C-mon, Frictionite and itsapeech have all given improvement in the shaving edge with this procedure.

Twenty five years ago my then 70 year old barber friend Frank Natale used to keep a Swaty in the pocket of his barber smock. If in the midst of a shave the razor needed some attention he would pull the Swaty out and do a few weight of the blade strokes to refresh the edge. Always dry on his barber hone and with lather on his Belgian coticule. He and the other barbers I knew in that area back then referred to the coticule as 'soap stone'. The good old days.

[Stubear]

Any high grit stone will do; Naniwa 12k, Shapton 16k, C12k, Coticule or barber hone...

Barber hones are really good actually. I got one on eBay a month or so ago and its working great! The other good thing is that they are quite small so you can store them easily or fit them in a bag when you travel.

You can also get smaller coticules as well. I just got a coticule/BBW combo the other week that measures 150x40mm, so not too big, and you can hone a razor from dull to shave ready on that. About the only thing you cant do is major edge repair, but other than that you can go from bevel setting right up to polish.