Thread: Antique Find -- Carborundum

Today, I found a carborundum hone in an antique shop. It had two grades but no indication of what they were. The box said 110. It was from Niagra, NY. I don't even know for sure if it is for honing razors or knives. Any advice on how I can tell what it is? I'd love to post pictures, but can't of course, since it isn't mine.

Send a PM to Utopian, he is well acquainted with Carborundums.

No PM needed!

The 110 (which is 7"x2"x1") is not a razor hone as defined by Carborundum. It is too coarse for anything beyond pre-bevel setting. That is, the finer side could be used to remove large chips but then you'd likely need to use a 1k to remove the microchips caused by the 110.

If you are looking at a Carborundum and considering its usability as a razor hone, just look at the box if it has one. Carborundum hones were identified either as "Razor Hone" or "Sharpening Stone." You can likely guess which works for razors.

I'm working on a compendium index for all the Carborundums that I have found. I hope to post it soon. The only impediment is taking all the damn pictures for it. In the mean time, here is a list of all Carbos that I know of that are in fact razor hones.

45
79
101
101a
102
103
104
105
106
118s
152
160? (based on a photo provided by an SRP member and we couldn't properly make out the number)
200
201

See..... what did I tell you!

Always somebody here who knows whats what! So, any truth to the theory that the lower the number, the smoother the hone?

No. There is no correlation whatsoever. The lower 100 series are all about equally fine. I suspect that myth came about due to comparing the more common 102 and 103 to the more common 118s, which is more coarse. The Aloxite 200 is like a Swaty and is quite fine as well. The 201 is a combo silicon carbide/aluminum oxide combo and it is also very fine.

I see no pattern to the numbering system.

Well Randy, I guess you were right. Ron knows his stuff.

Originally Posted by Utopian

No. There is no correlation whatsoever. The lower 100 series are all about equally fine. I suspect that myth came about due to comparing the more common 102 and 103 to the more common 118s, which is more coarse. The Aloxite 200 is like a Swaty and is quite fine as well. The 201 is a combo silicon carbide/aluminum oxide combo and it is also very fine.

I see no pattern to the numbering system.

thanks for that info i have my grandfathers Aloxite razor hone #200 with orig box QUESTION- should this stone be lapped? if so i have a DMT325 would that do it? also is the #200 a finisher or do i stick with my 12k naniwa?? thanks

You did a nice job bringing up three significant points in you short post. Most likely others will chime in soon but here are my opinions.

1. No barber hone without significant chips should be lapped UNLESS you have both
a) experience using other barber hones
b) tested it to see how it hones in its unaltered state.

This was your grandfather's hone! Try it out in its current condition so you can get a feel for what your grandfather was using. Generally barber hones need a good cleaning more than they need lapping.

2. Others definitely disagree on this one but I don't think the DMT 325 should ever be used on a barber hone. DMT declares that only the DMT XX should be used for lapping hones but they have stated that the DMT325 can be used on waterstones-- which are much softer than your Aloxite. In my opinion using a DMT 325 on barber hones is a nice way to add diamonds to your kitchen drain.

3. There is a slight difference between a finishing hone and a maintenance hone. Your Naniwa is the former and your Aloxite is the latter. Finishing hones put on a fine polish on your edge and they barely cut steel. Barber hones cut faster but still manage to leave a decent edge on the blade. If you have a Naniwa 12k, then you should use that as a finisher. The Aloxite will not improve the edge off a properly honed blade finished on a 12k. The Aloxite as a maintenance hone is meant to be all you need to maintain a razor indefinitely but the edge it produces is not as good as that of the


Since you have both, I'd suggest you do what I have done for a long time. I have a set of razors that I keep in my locker at a gym. They have been maintained for something like 7 years now with nothing but a barber hone. They shave just fine, but they are not as smooth as what I use at home. If you have more than one razor, I'd suggest you try maintaining one of them with nothing but your Aloxite. This will give you a much better sense of how your grandfather maintained his razor. He didn't have diamond plates or synthetic hones from Japan and odds are he would have thought it ridiculous to have more than one hone or even more than one razor.

Since you have both the Aloxite and the Naniwa, now it's time to play with them and learn more about how they work. Have fun with that!

I agree with Ron on all points. Clean the Barber hone, thats it, no lapping, just be sure to soften the edges. A DMT 325 would quickly be worn out and no gain for the barber hone.

It has to be said again, the barber hones are for edge refreshing. They are not a substitute for a fine finishing hone or abrasive pasted paddle strop.