Thread: Smiths tri stone

Here's how I see it -

I have seen a lot of threads about those Tri-Hones. Some guys say they work, others say they don't. The only FIRST HAND accounts I have ever read are from guys who describe them like JeffR. I can't recall any of the guys who I know by reputation saying anything about them one way or the other.

In short, to me it's a gamble.

What I do know is the popular synthetics are tried and true. The Tri-Hone may be $30 while a good set of synethetics will be about $110 for 1k, 3/4/5k and 8k, but I'd rather buy the right stuff the first time. The only exception (for me, at least) would be if you are seriously interested in stones AND have the time, experience, and other equipment to make comparisons.

Originally Posted by joshb1000

Thanks for the heads up, i may pick one up, simply for the fact that if i dont like it , i'm only out 30 dollars. Mine if i contact you for tips if i do get it?

I'd be happy to share any tips that I can. That said, the senior guys in this thread do have valid points. Another inexpensive option to consider at least for maintenance would be a barber hone. I've never used one but a lot of folks seem to like them.

BTW thanks for keeping us all safe so that we can play around with old-fashioned shaving tools.

Sincerely,

Jeff

The abrasive in Arkansas stones, novaculite, is considerably softer than aluminum oxide, SiC and diamond. It'll sharpen carbon steel reasonably well, but it is a poor choice for stainless and very hard steel tools. Also, the smith hones are too course for anything besides nick removal and bevel setting on razors.

If you are looking for an inexpensive stone for sharpening things other than straight razors, norton crystolon (SiC) stones are cheap, reasonably fast and will sharpen almost any steel.

i appreciate all the tips, i may pick up a set for just 30$, its not big loss if i dont like it. Plus, with taxes coming back, i'll probably pick up the norton set on straightrazordesgns.com as well. Like i said i'm not looking to hone professionally by any means, but i love the restoration process, so i figure if i'm going to start something i may as well finish it too. Thanks again for all you help and support.

arkansas stones are some of the best stones there is everyone goes on about all these other natural stones and how good they are without realising they are the same or very similar charnely forrest stones are exactly the same but you don't hear anyone saying they're crap stones arkansas are slow because they polish instead of abrading the steel and you can sharpen any steel you like with them people who say you cant sharpen stainless or very hard tool steels with them obviously have never used them as they excell at polishing hair splitting edges on extremely hard steel they might be softer than some materials but they will take years of proper use before needing lapping and are known to destroy diamond plates used for lapping i've used nothing but arkansas stones to finish knives for thirty years and use them for my razors to get really fine edges you need to go to the black surgical stone which will put mirror finishes on any steel type your better of buying proper bench stones from someone like halls rather than tri hone set ups but you can get the try hones with soft hard and surgical black which is so called because of it's use to sharpen medical and dental tools you need a little patience but if you progress through the different grades it's faster than just going from a corse stone to surgical black i think they are well worth the time and effort needed and are a lot cheaper than the popular naturals and do just as good if not better if you don't have the time or patience choose something else

It's funny you bring up the Smith's Tri hone. That's what I honed my first two razors on about a year and a half ago. It was the razor I had sitting in my drawer for 20 years and the one I got from my barber. I actually got both razors to shave fairly decent and I shaved with both of them for the first few weeks until I ordered my Dovo Bismark from SRD. When it came in the mail and I shaved with it for the first time, I learned what a razor should shave like. I was never able to duplicate that kind of edge until I got my set of Nortons. The last post said something about not having to lap them anytime too soon. That may be the case with the medium and fine but I know when I hone a knife on the course, I always have a lot of grit that comes off in the process which tells me it would need to be lapped. Now granted, you would only want to use the course for setting a bevel. The one thing that bothered me with my Tri hone is the stones are not that wide or long and you are constantly having to draw both the toe and heel across the edge of the stone. Hey! if you get it and find it doesn't work well, you still have a good hone for your pocket knives.

kcarlisle it sounds like your tri hone is the one that has a silicone carbide coarse stone and a soft and hard arkansas if so the silicone one is the one that releases the grit arkansas stones don't release grit like that they don't have a grit rating they're measured by density but the particle size is extremely small as they're of the quartz family you will get great edges with the soft better with the hard but for really fine polished edges like you want on a razor you need the surgical black mirror polished edges you can see your eye colour in and split hairs length wise compared to the highly polished edge from the hard but they say the true translucent is as big a difference again although expensive as the rarest arkansas worth a try one day

I am exactly that person that Randy mentioned, I started with a straight razor and a very fine Ouachita Snow White stone, that back in 1981, when I bought it that puppy it ran me $105...

I don't do knives, I do razors

Now as somebody that had maintained two straight razors for over 25 years and never used anything but that Arkansas stone and was very happy with the shaves... I will tell you right here and now that they is simply no comparison at all, not even in the same realm of sharpness and smoothness from the other "Razor qualified natural stones, and the proved Synthetics.. I can beat the shave off an Arkansas with my eyes shut and hopping on one foot with my other stones...
Not to even get too deep in the consistency issues... Once I learned on the other stones I have never looked back...

Honing with Arkansas stone is possible, and "quaint", but for Straight Razors in would not recommend it to my worst enemy...

That being said, I keep that cherished first hone, and one razor that has been honed on it, and actually shave on it now and then to remind myself of where I started at...

Originally Posted by gssixgun

I can beat the shave off an Arkansas with my eyes shut and hopping on one foot with my other stones...

I want to see that in the next video !

Quachita!!!! is the lowest grade would you expect great shaves using the lowest grade norton??? you could shave of a soft or hard arkansas also but when you step up to the surgical black you get an unbelievable edge and ultra smooth shave the translucent would be even better just like any other type of stone if you don't use the right grade for your purpose you wont get the results you want