Thread: Difference in Carborundum Hones

Great points!

How about another kink in the Carborundum works? Sometimes the stone changed while the model number remained the same. Here's a few pages from a 1903 Carborundum Company Catalog listing the 201 as a two-grit potter's cutter, separate from the razor hones. However, the 201 becomes a two-grit razor hone later. The sizes are different too. The early 201 potter's cutter is 6x2-1/2 while the later 201 razor hone is 4x1-7/8. Fun stuff. =)

Oh, and it looks like they experimented a little with the numbers too. I've found original advertisements for the 103, 103A, 103C, and 103G razor hones. I wonder what might be all the differences. (Wouldn't it be fun to collect them all?)

Me

I recently obtained one that was in a wooden box. It is quite smooth and HARD. I lapped it a bit to clean it up. On the side it says: "Carborundum Stone No. 124" The 124 is stamped from a different stamp. Stone is quite smooth, but i'm not sure if it's what I would consider finisher smooth, like a barber hone. Keep in mind that I have not put a razor it though, may be a good touch up stone...I just don't know at this time.

Would you post scans of the whole catalog? I'd love to know more about my 200. It's from the Manchester England branch of the company.

Originally Posted by CJBianco

Oh, and it looks like they experimented a little with the numbers too. I've found original advertisements for the 103, 103A, 103C, and 103G razor hones. I wonder what might be all the differences. (Wouldn't it be fun to collect them all?)

Well, I've been trying, but I keep finding out about more of them! I had no idea that the 103 came in other variations. Now I have to look for more hones!

Does anyone have anything on the 124?

Originally Posted by MarkinLondon

Would you post scans of the whole catalog? I'd love to know more about my 200. It's from the Manchester England branch of the company.

Unfortunately, I don't own the catalog. I only glean my information from online scans, and that's all I have from this particular catalog issue.

Thanx,
Me

Originally Posted by shooter74743

Does anyone have anything on the 124?

I've got a couple of them. In my opinion they are similar to what I described for the 106, in that it is softer and more more porous than the lower 100 series Carbos. If you think the 124 is hard to lap, don't even consider lapping a 101 through 105. It would just make you cry!

I do agree with you that it is a perfectly good barber's hone but not at the level of a finisher or some of the more fine barber's hones.

As a curiosity, here's one of the "pocket" razor hones made by The Carborundum Company (upper left in photo).

It measures about 1.5" x 3.938" x 0.5". It's so much harder than a Swaty, that it took about 3 times longer to lap (and the surface area is only 60% of the Swatys'). It is finer, IMO, than a Swaty. I use it quite often.

That is a Carborundum 102. It's one of the smallest ones but it remains my favorite. That's probably why I have so many of them.

Originally Posted by CJBianco

Unfortunately, I don't own the catalog. I only glean my information from online scans, and that's all I have from this particular catalog issue.

Thanx,
Me

Do you have a link to the scans?