Thread: Swaty Made in USA ?

A potted history of the AHCo and the man who bought it:

Originally based in Olean, NY, the American Hone Co moved to Moravia Iowa in 1950 after being bought out by Merrill Johnson, owner of Success Barber Supply. Johnson hired a young woman (Lois Hiatt, fresh out of highschool) to oversee the making of the hones - she had access to the original owners which made life simpler, and one of the original employees assisted for four months They produced 'hot hones' that were baked using natural ingredients in a matrix and 'cold hones' - both the hot and cold hones were made using a press, but the cold variety did not need baking. When Hiatt died (2004) she left lists of the hone ingredients behind her, but no-one has succeeded in making them work.

Merrill Herschel Johnson had an interesting career, being born in Monroe Co., Iowa in 1889. He was a barber while still in school, a partner in two barber shops, a barbershop owner, patentee of a strop filler and a honing method owner and barber in Moravia and started his own mail order supply company - Success Barber Supply. He also had his own farm and ranch. The American Hone Co was at 111 E. Charlton, Moravia, Iowa. Success Barber & Beauty Supply is at 113 E Charlton St.

The Frictionite was made by AHC, but the 00 model was stopped (according to RandyDance who knew/knows one of the owners) because the Rhodesian company supplying the abrasive grit went out of business. They also made hones for Dubl Duck and many other companies, badged with the clients name, as well as over a hundred others including Lithide, Black Diamond, Ahconite, Super Punjab, Reliance, Little Devil, Vinco, Carbro, etc, etc. When the company went out of business the stock was bought up by Anton and Diana Till and sold on Ebay.

Regards,
Neil