Thread: Are Swaty's the "Eschers" of Barber Hones?

I don't know if I posted this in the right forum or not, so if it's wrong please tell me. I was watching this Swaty hone on Ebay and was shocked to see the price this hone fetched. I'm pretty new to this so I was wondering what makes these hones so great? I just won an auction that contains a three line Swaty and a No. 5 combination grit barber hone and various other hones for $38 shipped! The hones are a little dirty but looked free of chips and dings. What is the best way to clean a barber hone? Thanks for the comments and advice.

VINTAGE FRANZ SWATY RAZOR SHARPENING HONE STONE AUSTRIA - eBay (item 140439497217 end time Aug-18-10 17:10:12 PDT)

From what I've seen Swatys were the most often used by barbers I knew in the north New Jersey area back in the 80s. There are many other brands that are equally effective IMO but the Swaty seems to have been the favorite of many pro barbers. That is an unusually high price for a Swaty though.

Do you know the best way to clean them? I think I read some where here that someone suggested comet and a scotch brite pad. I could be wrong though. Thanks

A DMT 120 followed by the DMT 325, you have to be very careful with Barber's hones though, they need to be smooth when you are done... Some were actually buffed before they left the factories..

Personally I think there is much we don't know, and never really will know about these little stones...

I would recommend not using any chemicals on them for cleaning however,,,I have a funny felling that some of the damage I have seen on these is caused by cleaning them....

Originally Posted by Milkylee

Do you know the best way to clean them? I think I read some where here that someone suggested comet and a scotch brite pad. I could be wrong though. Thanks

I would start with a nylon bristle brush and comet. If it had more grunge after that a scotch brite pad would be good. Some guys lap them and some don't. I always try them without lapping first. If I think they need it I will lap them but they are a bear to lap so if I can get by without it I don't lap. I'm 99% sure the old barbers never did.

Try simple soap & water first & a brush of some kind. That usually works.
Lapping is usually not necessary unless the sides are "high" /center is dished. Be sure to soften the edges of the hone.

The Swaty was very popular and seemed to have good distribution channels. I do not regard it as the "Escher" of barber hones but is has been effective and reliable as a "touch up" hone.

Just my $.02,

Hi! Finding a Swaty hone in my Dads toolbox, researching to find out what it was, and discovering it's a Barber hone is what got me into straight shaving about a year ago. First off it was really beat up so I had to lap it to het it smooth with 1000grit paper in a slurry. It's an artiicial hone with a clay binder and can be used wet, with oil, or lather. I've read estimates that put it at about 10,000 grit. I clean it with lather and like to use lather when honing as well since it shows the progression of the blade graphically. It hones very well BTW and gets my Wester Manganese very sharp. I'm sure glad I found it considering how much it's worth on Ebay. So good luck with it, I know it's well regarded.

Brett

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I would start with a nylon bristle brush and comet. If it had more grunge after that a scotch brite pad would be good. Some guys lap them and some don't. I always try them without lapping first. If I think they need it I will lap them but they are a bear to lap so if I can get by without it I don't lap. I'm 99% sure the old barbers never did.

'An odd stone: Cattaraugus Cutlery Co "Green Lizard" razor hone. A stiff bristle nylon brush & some comet brought all the metallic swarf off. Surface seems more course than a C12k, more fine than the nani 8k. Thank You again to Jimmy for great help.

I think it is hype....I have an Enders that is like honing on glass.

Having just sold an 8x2 Swaty on eBay for $75, I can't talk any trash about them, and they can be great, especially the larger ones, as a finisher. But I can't see a significant difference between my 5" Swaty and 5" EzyEdge...I don't know for sure, but I think all the brownish/reddish-colored barber hones are pretty much the same synthetic material (alumina/aluminum oxide), and it's not like they were painstakingly extracted from a magical mountainside in Japan by the sole survivors of mystical samurai clans (er-hrm three thirty mate, ack, cough--excuse me) so I would think they'd all be pretty similar, and yield similar results.