Thread: Raven Barber Hone Info?

I asked these question already, but am wondering if I might have posted them in the incorrect area (under Honing instead of Hones), so here's part 2....

I am looking into purchasing a Raven barber hone online. It is in very nice condition, (price removed! sorry for confusion) in almost new condition. I currently have a Norton 8000/4000 water stone that has been wonderful to me, and gets a very nice edge on my razors. However, I have been looking into picking up a barber's hone because of the legacy behind them as well as getting an even finer polished edge. I have been looking at all of the previous posts in the SRP forums about Raven barber hones, and have still have a few lingering questions:
Are raven hones durable? I understand that they are quite hard, but do they tend to chip?
What is the grit (approx would be better than an estimate) of a Raven? I don't want it to be too high, as too fin of an edge would just chip, but I would like it to be higher than 8k, because then I'd feel like I wasted my money on it when my Norton has an 8k side.
Should I keep a Raven (or most barber hones in general) submerged in water between usages? I keep my Norton 8k/4k submerged in water, but that's designed for it.
Any help would be great!
Here's a link to one of the stones that I'm looking at. It seems to have a few chips on it near the top, but they're on the side, so it shouldn't affect honing....but I figured I'd leave it up to the experts to tell me more! There are pictures you can see from different angles if you click on the image of the hone. There are 5 pictures total, I believe, and the hone is shown wet and then how it looks with the water dryed on it.
Vintage Raven Barbers Hone#
Thanks again in advance!

Sorry we cannot price on srp. your hone will do fine job after 8k. hope this helps.

Originally Posted by hi_bud_gl

Sorry we cannot price on srp. your hone will do fine job after 8k. hope this helps.

Edited post to remove price. Thanks for the heads up!
The reason the link is there is so people can see the pics of it and deduce is the nicks here and there would be bad for shaving.

Thanks for the heads up .... I bought the hone .... Only kidding. I have heard they are a good hone in a couple of forum posts but I've got no first hand experience with a Raven. The chips shouldn't be an issue if they are , as the seller claims, not in the path of the razor.

OTOH, there are many brands of barber hones out there and unless you have a craving for a Raven in particular that one is not selling at a bargain price. Swaty, C-Mon, Frictionite, itsapeech, some of the carborundums, dubl duck. There are a slue of them. Here is a post reviewing many or them from the archives.

I've got a Raven barber hone and I'm very pleased with it. All it needs is a splash of water or a dab of lather before use and its ready to go. You dont need to keep it in water, in fact I make sure mine is totally dry before I store it.

I'm not sure exactly of the grit, but it feels finer than my 8k Shapton, but not as fine as the 16k so I'd guess at 10-12k.

It feels pretty durable but it could well chip if bashed around. Mine has a small chip on one side where its been knocked on something, so they can chip if badly handled.

Overall though, its a really good stone and works very well for touch ups! You could also use it as a finisher after the 8k Norton.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Thank you both for the information. 10k-12k sounds like it's just in the ballpark of where I'd like my finished-edge t be, rather than fresh off of 8k. Plus, having a finer hone gives me another excuse to spend a relaxing weekend afternoon with my straights.

I don't have my heart set on a particular barber hone, but if given the choice, I would pick the sleek looking Raven, since it's possibly less than 16k as well. The embossed raven as well as the black color make it look very classical, a true collectors item yet functional.

I won't jump into the debate of the different levels of grit with TOO much fire, but my general belief is that an edge sharpened on too high of a grain will develop micro-chipping easily and lead to possible micro tearing during a shave. Therefore, I prefer to stick with preferably under 16k stones for my final polished edge.

Originally Posted by Prussian

Should I keep a Raven (or most barber hones in general) submerged in water between usages? I keep my Norton 8k/4k submerged in water, but that's designed for it.

Actually No for either, Yes I know plenty of people keep their Nortons soaking all the time, but IIRC the actual instructions that came with mine say not to... But admittedly that was some time ago...

Barber's Hones I would NOT soak, I honestly don't know what would happen, haven't ever tried it, but there is no reason to.. That Raven if you get one, just gets a splash of water or a swipe of lather and 4-6 laps....These are touch up hones, they are not a finisher per se...

A good finisher after a N8K in the range you want, I would look at the Naniwa 10k either one, or the 12k SS...

Hope that helps somewhat...

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Actually No for either, Yes I know plenty of people keep their Nortons soaking all the time, but IIRC the actual instructions that came with mine say not to... But admittedly that was some time ago...

Barber's Hones I would NOT soak, I honestly don't know what would happen, haven't ever tried it, but there is no reason to.. That Raven if you get one, just gets a splash of water or a swipe of lather and 4-6 laps....These are touch up hones, they are not a finisher per se...

A good finisher after a N8K in the range you want, I would look at the Naniwa 10k either one, or the 12k SS...

Hope that helps somewhat...

Thanks for the interesting information. The fact that these are touch-ups make them even more useful to me. My hunger for a barber hone (or any fine touch-up one in general) grows only stronger! I'm looking for more a long the lines of European barber hones and finishing stones, but am also looking into the Naniwas as well.

Originally Posted by Prussian

I asked these question already, but am wondering if I might have posted them in the incorrect area (under Honing instead of Hones), so here's part 2....

I am looking into purchasing a Raven barber hone online.
..........big snip...
Should I keep a Raven (or most barber hones in general) submerged in water between usages? I keep my Norton 8k/4k submerged in water, but that's designed for it.
Any help would be great!

Keep your barber hone "dry". No need to soak in water.
Just dry it off enough so it does not leave water marks
on the shelf. You can put it on or in one of those plastic soap
dish things. Just rinse and rub the surface clean prior to use.
Perhaps lather it a bit...

The Norton should not sit in water for days on end. It will
grow bacteria and gunk. Soak it 10-20 min prior to use and
when done let it drip dry then return to the plastic box. The 8K
side does not need soaking the way the 4K side does. Do not
store a wet Norton in a freezing garage.

Now if you hone 20+ razors a day the rules change. But an individual
will end up touch up honing once a month or less and the slime
that would grow on a hone in a month is GROSS and perhaps a health risk.

Originally Posted by niftyshaving

Keep your barber hone "dry". No need to soak in water.
Just dry it off enough so it does not leave water marks
on the shelf. You can put it on or in one of those plastic soap
dish things. Just rinse and rub the surface clean prior to use.
Perhaps lather it a bit...

The Norton should not sit in water for days on end. It will
grow bacteria and gunk. Soak it 10-20 min prior to use and
when done let it drip dry then return to the plastic box. The 8K
side does not need soaking the way the 4K side does. Do not
store a wet Norton in a freezing garage.

Now if you hone 20+ razors a day the rules change. But an individual
will end up touch up honing once a month or less and the slime
that would grow on a hone in a month is GROSS and perhaps a health risk.

Thanks for the tips. I took the Nortons out of the water today.

I see no gunk or bacteria, so I should have caught them in time.

Thanks for the info, but they have been soaking in water for awhile.

I change the water every day, but now I'll let them sit dry.