Thread: Barber Hones

I have been reading and trying to learn about hones but I'm a little confused about what are called "barber's hones" and I've got a few questions.

1. Why do they never say what grit they are? If they are for touching up a blade are they something similar to a 12k?
2. Why are the only barbers hones I see vintage? Are these kinds of hones no longer made?
3. Finally, if these hones work the way I think they do, what's the point of using CrOx pastes and sprays when you can just do a few laps on your barbers hone?

Sorry about the basic level questions - I'm still working on getting a basic level of knowledge.

They were designed for quick touch-ups, ie fast cutting (five or so strokes) to bring the razor back to optimum or near. A grit value wasn't so relevant, they can be similar to many other finishers, similar being the operative term. They're no longer made, presumably because their market (barbers giving straight razor shaves) has all but disappeared. The answer to your third question is really subjective and comes down to a quest for ever better edges. You can get by (touch-ups) with an 8k Norton, Barber's hone, coticule etc alone, but where's the fun in that?

Originally Posted by mrbison

3. Finally, if these hones work the way I think they do, what's the point of using CrOx pastes and sprays when you can just do a few laps on your barbers hone?

I agree with everything Alan just said, but I'd add a few more things to this one. Of course, this is all opinion and dependent on your particular skill/style/preferences, so take with a grain of salt.

First of all, I own a barber hone, and back when I only owned one razor I used it as intended all the time - for touch-ups. For the super quick touch-up, I really think a vintage barber hone is peerless. Pastes and sprays tend to be slow. 5 laps on my barber hone does more than 30 on my pasted strop. Since it's a 20 sided hone, it can bring an edge a long way back. However, the edge it produces is never 'quite' as good as a proper honing on modern stones, followed with a pasted strop. So, the pastes tend produce a finer edge, but require a good edge to begin with and take longer, while the barber hone is faster, more efficient and 'almost' as good. Again, YMMV.

On the other hand, I haven't used my barber hone in over a year, and will probably be putting it on the classifieds soon along with about half my razors. The reason being, I have so many razors right now that most of them do nothing but sit. If I start my shave and decide my razor isn't keen enough, I put it in the re-hone pile and grab a different razor. Why reach for a barber hone to touch up my razor while I'm getting ready for work, when I've got a dozen more that are shave ready and another dozen needing to be honed that can keep it company?

Even then, it takes MONTHS at this point to get down to few enough razors in the shave-ready pile to be worth pulling out the hones. Instead, the hones get pulled out because I made another trip to the antique store. My last trip to the antique store netted a Rogers and 4 Wade & Butchers for a song. By the time I got them all honed up, I had so many razors in the 'ready pile' that I didn't bother with the stack of not-so-readys, which is about 8 razors right now.

I'll just answer your questions in the order you asked them.

1) The grit varies but they are usually somewhere from 8-10k I believe.
2) You're correct, they're not made any more so its vintage only!
3) They are used as you say, to touch up a razor thats starting to dull. They are a bit lower grit than a pasted strop (CrOx is about 30k) so you could use the barber hone when the pasted strop stops being as effective. Thats how I used mine before I PIF'd it to my dad..!

Originally Posted by mrbison

I have been reading and trying to learn about hones but I'm a little confused about what are called "barber's hones" and I've got a few questions.

1. Why do they never say what grit they are? If they are for touching up a blade are they something similar to a 12k?
2. Why are the only barbers hones I see vintage? Are these kinds of hones no longer made?
3. Finally, if these hones work the way I think they do, what's the point of using CrOx pastes and sprays when you can just do a few laps on your barbers hone?

Sorry about the basic level questions - I'm still working on getting a basic level of knowledge.

To your questions:

1.Depends on the particular hone. Some are quite coarse and have 2 sides, the coarser side is not a finishing side and has a much lower grit equivalent, say ~3K. The better finishers, Swaty, or Swaty like barbers hones ~10K. The little Carborundum razor hones about the same. Others seems about ~6K or so.
2. +1 for above, no longer made as such. But, there are plenty of synthetic hones made in equivalent grit ratings today. You could always cut one down if you wanted.
3. +1 they are for quick blade maintenance, usually 4-6 strokes will refresh an edge. Lynn had a nice tutorial on using these posted.

They are called barbers hones, but in many cases they were also used by self-shavers. In fact, some of them even have that on the boxes" for self-shavers."

I have played around with about ten barbers hones and like them for what they can do at the price point ~$20 or so for a decent one off the bay.

Pasted strops tend to round off your bevel, stones tend to get your bevel back more to a "v" shape. Barbers hones are an inexpensive alternative for decent blade maintenance when pasting does not refresh the edge well or when you want to preserve your bevel. Using them together, first the barbers hone and then pasted strop can give you a nice shaveable edge.

But, the edges are generally not as good as those that come off a true high-quality finishing hone like a coticule, a thurigian or a J-nat.

A small coticule will serve the same refreshing purpose, be far more versatile, but will cost about 3x more. Have fun!

Barber hones are great. They're small 5x2 normally and Barber's used to carry them around in their pockets. 3-5 lapps prior to stropping, and your edge is refreshed. Of course, they didn't let the blade go to far. They are vintage, meaning they're no longer made. Here's a hone comparison table:
Hones - comparison table - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Peruse any old barber supply catalogs such as Koken, Theo. Koch, August Kern, etc. and you will find many different hones that were offered for sale to be used by barbers for their razors.

Natural Thuringians and Belgian water hones, as well as all of the different types of synthetic hones like Swatty hones and carborundums, etc.

Water hones, oil hones, natural and synthetics, large and small sizes. All of them were marketed to, and used by barbers therefore they are all barber hones.

Grits were never mentioned in the old catalogs (not that I've seen at least) and barbers just relied on what was offered by the supply houses as appropriate for use. It seems that it only mattered as to what was a barbers favorite hone. Some preferred fast cutters and others preferred slow cutting hones. Some liked natural, others synthetics.

Originally Posted by honedright

...and barbers just relied on what was offered by the supply houses as appropriate for use.

Sadly, it seems like very few companies operate honestly enough to allow people to shop that way.

Originally Posted by mrbison

1. Why do they never say what grit they are? If they are for touching up a blade are they something similar to a 12k?

The reason for this is that the grit rating is irrelevant. How well, how fast, how finely it cuts depends on more than just the size of the grit. It depends on how dense the grit is in the hone--that is, the ratio of grit vs binder in the hone. It also depends on what binder is used to maintain the structural integrity of the hone. The most common binders for barber hones are shellac and cement.

Because of all the possible inherent variables, the size of the grit has little correlation to the fineness of the hone. That is why the grit size was never mentioned.

Barber hones are meant for maintaining an already sharp razor. A single barber hone is all you need to maintain your razors for the rest of your life.

Originally Posted by Utopian

A single barber hone is all you need to maintain your razors for the rest of your life.

This is what I was hoping - I guess I'd better get one.