Thread: Carborundum & Vaseline

I can't make out all the verbiage on the carton that came with this Carborundum hone. But, what I can read has me intrigued. Here's what I can make out with some degree of certainty...

DIRECTIONS FOR USE
A thin clear...
... the stone in a pan of hot vaseline, **lling up the pores...
...stone. For cleansing hone, wash with...

The asterisks * above indicate letters I can't make out, and the ellipsis ... indicates a string of letters/words is indecipherable. The possibility remains that I have read something above incorrectly.

Can anyone shed light on the "pan of hot vaseline" part? And, does the rest possibly say "filling" up the pores?

Well, it is a petroleum product, so perhaps it was recommended instead of oil for honing.

You have it right. "Use a thin clear oil. If stone cuts too rapidly, temper by soaking the stone in a pan of hot vaseline, filling the pores of the stone." The rest of the statement is " For cleaning stone, wash with kerosene"

Originally Posted by DMHarper

You have it right. "Use a thin clear oil. If stone cuts too rapidly, temper by soaking the stone in a pan of hot vaseline, filling the pores of the stone." The rest of the statement is " For cleaning stone, wash with kerosene"

Thanks for the sharp eyes. It makes sense for
a lot of reasons but only for older carborundum
razor hones.

Originally Posted by niftyshaving

Thanks for the sharp eyes. It makes sense for
a lot of reasons but only for older carborundum
razor hones.

This sounds right also, for the Carborundum, while fairly smooth, is noticeably less so than most Carborundums I have owned.

Glad to be of help. Really not sharp eyes though, just that the box for mine is a bit less worn. lol

Originally Posted by DMHarper

Glad to be of help. Really not sharp eyes though, just that the box for mine is a bit less worn. lol

Assuming you have the same Carborundum, would you agree that it is not quite as smooth as most Carborundums?

100% agree, at least the one I have, which is a 2 sided stone. The finer side might be ok to set a bevel on a razor, but not for any further work. I wouldn't use the coarse side for anything more delicate than a pocketknife. Mine is labled silicone carbide "sharpening stone" #112 combination grit. Not sold as a razor hone. I understand that they did market a razor hone, but I don't have one of those, so can't comment on that. My barber hones are Swaty's and a Panama, and they are much finer/smoother than this stone.

I am missing the other side of the box, and so don't know the Carborundum number. But, it is not two grit, and isn't the same. I think mine is about 1K in grit.

Originally Posted by DMHarper

Glad to be of help. Really not sharp eyes though, just that the box for mine is a bit less worn. lol

OK hawk eye.... ;-
We should tie this thread into the grit (not food) thread.

The way a hone cuts has as much to do with 100 things
all of which are not the grit size. Like lather adding vaselline
to a hone (remember that this was the days of oil stones)
would float the razor higher thus letting the hone cut shallower
into the steel.

I have a couple Carborundum hones most repel water
and were obviously used with oil of some kind. I will
have to play with them in the context of oils.

I do know that to a hone the Carborundum brand razor
hones are uniform and fine grain. Of all the barber hones
I have collected they are the most uniform antique products
I have played with. Tricks like a vaselline soak may make them
hone an edge even better.