Thread: barber hones

All you guy talk about really exotic hones and are searching for the perfect edge , understandable but what about the lowly barbers hone where does it fit into the scheme of things. ALso can some one tell me if the thurigan which is listed in the classifieds is a good stone for ...... ? beginners ? a finishing stone or what ? at the moment all i have is the barbers hone.
Oh ya what is a slurry stone and how is it used ?

Barber's hones were used by the pro barber to quickly touch up a razor that was slightly falling off in sharpness. The conveniently sized hones were kept handy in a pocket or on a countertop and a few light round trips would bring the edge back to acceptable sharpness. We can use them much the same way.

A slurry stone is a small chunk of rock, preferably but not necessarily a piece of the hone you're using or at least of the same family. Also called a 'rubbing stone' it is rubbed on the surface of the hone to generate a lather of abrasive mix within the vehicle (water) to increase the cutting power of the hone.

The Thuringan family of hones is considered a finishing stone and generally serves that purpose very well. According to the 1929 Moler's Barber Manual it is ideal for beginners because they cannot overhone on that stone.

You can get by with nothing but a "lowly" barber hone. I had a set of razors in my gym locker that I maintained with nothing but a barber hone for 7 or 8 years. Their edges were not as good as what I could produce at home with all my other rocks, but they maintained perfectly serviceable edges and comfortable shaves for that entire time.

The higher end natural finishing stones/hones will produce a "better" edge. They will cost more but will do a slightly better job. It's like cars. A $15k car will get you from point A to point B. A $60k car will get you there too, but you might enjoy the ride a little more, and you might be a little more likely to pick up a hot girl along the way, but then she's going to want a diamond and her own $70k car and a bigger house and eventually a hotter guy and so that $60k car is going to cost you about $700k when all you wanted to do was get to point B.

Barber hones will get you a decent edge. You can spend hundreds and thousands of dollars trying to get a slightly better edge. Regardless of what you spend or what you buy, you still need to learn how to get the most out of the hone you have.

Originally Posted by Utopian

. A $15k car will get you from point A to point B. A $60k car will get you there too, but you might enjoy the ride a little more, and you might be a little more likely to pick up a hot girl along the way, but then she's going to want a diamond and her own $70k car and a bigger house and eventually a hotter guy and so that $60k car is going to cost you about $700k when all you wanted to do was get to point B.

HAHA! so true!

But what is the grit of a Barber hone? Would a Chinese 12k be good enough? They don't sell new barber hones (not that i know of, all are vintage).

Originally Posted by Utopian

Barber hones will get you a decent edge. You can spend hundreds and thousands of dollars trying to get a slightly better edge. Regardless of what you spend or what you buy, you still need to learn how to get the most out of the hone you have.

Any of you consider Dr. Stone's 12 step HAD program?

Originally Posted by warreng

HAHA! so true!

But what is the grit of a Barber hone? Would a Chinese 12k be good enough? They don't sell new barber hones (not that i know of, all are vintage).

You can read all about the hones and their grits here:Hones - comparison table - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Barber hones range 8-12k
A chinese 12k would be good, They're just a bit slow...

How about with a slurry. I herd it will speed it up a lot faster.

Originally Posted by warreng

How about with a slurry. I herd it will speed it up a lot faster.

yes, It's been said, that 100 lapps or so is the norm, and with a slurry, about 50 YMMV

Barber hones range 8-12k if this is so then its a great range . right...?

Then what is the need for higher ? how polished can a ting get ? and how much does that polish matter?

4k is for removing metal ya? so anything above is polish and gravy ( Gravy being a fine edge? ) mixed ?

I read yhe wiki and it is informative as far as vague comparisons go its hard to understand kinda like comparing a gopher to an elephant to a man with no arms or legs, what is the reference point he can use..

I have a barber's hone. By itself, it doesn't give me the edge I desire. I have to use some Crox in conjunction.