Thread: Question Regarding 'Old Time' Honing

When I search around the forums, eBay, other shave sites, etc. I always notice that vintage hones are primarily barber hones or something similar. There are some exceptions of course, like finishing hones such as Eschers look a bit different in photos though I've never seen one in person.

That being said, what was used in the past to put edges on razors? There (to my knowledge) wasn't a system of synthetics where one would go through bevel setting up to finishing. Never seen old strop pastes or sprays, these are probably very modern.

Was it all single stone honing on naturals or were manufacturers doing something and barbers/personal users simply used finishers and barber hones to keep the edge over time?

Interesting question. I'm not the most knowledgeable on these matters, but I'll chip in with what I know: they did have stropping media like crocus in the early days, and I also know some used to strop on ash. Also I suspect there were way more natural stones around, with all the high quality synthetics the demand for natural stones have dwindled and there is less demand for them. I suspect they had quite a number of other practices as well and were able to keep great edges. Swords, axes and knives have been used for centuries and there's little doubt some were very sharp. I'm sure someone else will chip in with more knowledge.

Basically, any natural stone can sharpen steel with varying degrees of success and consistancy.

I'm not precisely sure when synthetic hones came into the equation I suppose that man searched out rocks to hone his cutting implements from the time they developed them. The best of whatever was available in one or another vicinity became the go to hone in that region. As time passed and commerce began between countries the cream of the naturals rose to the top.

It seems the best known hones in Europe were the Belgian Coticule and the German waterstones from the Thuringan region. Notably the Escher. Great Britain had the Charnley Forrest, the Scots Tam O'Shanter, Dalmore Blue, Water of Ayr, and imported the Turkey Stone. In the USA the Arkansas stones, Washita, soft, hard and black hard were probably dominant way back before imports into the colonies became more prevalent. I'm just supposing here, no hard facts.

I don't know when the Japanese stones became known outside of their home country. They were a closed society to the western world for centuries from what I understand. I suspect as soon as synthetic stones became available, pastes and what not people began to take advantage of them as they continue to do today. Here is a good thread with more educated info on the topic than I can provide.

Great info Jimmy, that post you linked is really informative also. So am I correct that they used these stones for the entire honing process? Just based on what you said I would assume this is true.

Originally Posted by ats200

Great info Jimmy, that post you linked is really informative also. So am I correct that they used these stones for the entire honing process? Just based on what you said I would assume this is true.

Your guess is as good as mine. I've often wondered what the precise answer to that question is. What I'm guessing is that they were no different than we are today, they used what was available at the time. Some of them probably settled for whatever worked while others searched for something better.

I wonder if there were hone freaks in those days with closets filled with coticules, charnleys and other obscure rocks ? Probably not, they were more sensible back in those days when it came to the value of a dollar. We also have to take into consideration that in those days there were vendors who traveled from town to town, village to village and sharpened tools, scissors, knives and razors. So some of it was farmed out just as it is today by some folks.

Just got off the phone with my grandmother. She described my grandfather's and great grandfather's experience with honing. My grandfather took his to a barber friend who used what sounds like a coticule. My great grandfather honed his own on a " blue/black stone, sometimes after rubbing another stone on it" (slurry?) I don't want to assume the stone as that could describe a few. She also went on to mention that he would occasionally take his razor to his work stones, but that was when he chipped them, they were black course one, white smooth one and another she can't really remember. Mind you my grandmother is 86 (sharp as a razor) and the youngest born when her father was 50! So she remembers some stuff. On that these weren't important aspects of her life and she could remember wrong.

My guess is that the first synthetic hones were made in the 1890's. Unfortunately, that is a guess with little evidence beyond the stamps on some of the Carborundum boxes indicating awards listed as early as 1903. I suspect the number of people who had decent coticule, thuringian, Arkansas, or such caliber hones represented the minority of shavers, though I'd presume it to be a requisite for barbers who used them for honing their, and their customers', razors.

I have maintained a rotation of 7 razors for about 8 years now with nothing but a barber hone. They remain sharp and have distinct boundaries between the bevel and the face of the blade. Honing maintains that boundary while pasted strops eventually, over a long time, would eliminate that boundary by rounding it over. Most of the old razors that I have examined under a microscope do not have such a boundary. For that reason, I speculate that the majority of razors were maintained with strops, not hones.

I remember seeing a photograph of a Wade and Butcher razor production hall with large wheel-shaped grinding stones. Back in those days sandstone of various grit sizes was readily available.

I have seen those grinders co called saddle grinders in action in one factory. They were hovever used for rough grinding. For the finer work were more appropriate wheels and crush grinders for hollowing.