SRD Franz Swaty VS. Amalgamite

So I finally got my little barber's hones in the mail! Look to be in NOS condition. One is a, i'm guessing, 3 line Swaty that reads "Franz Swaty, Vormals, Harburg, Austria" that has a sticker on the side with SRD (a supplier) on it and the other reads "Non-Filling Amalgamite, non-corrodible, american hone co, olean n.y.

I have yet to put steal on these because I have no Idea if they fit or even have a place in my progression.

Current progression is a Chosera 1k, welsh trio, Ozuku.

Would these 'fast cutting' barbers hones fit into my progression??

My other question is about the difference between these two hones. Swaty's can apparently hit the 12k mark in performance while the amalgamite has no writing about it. The amalgamite, a 2 sided hone, feels MUCH smoother to the touch on the 'finishing' side of the stone.

Any help or recommendations would be much appreciated!

Eye candy is as follows:

Attachment 115134Attachment 115135Attachment 115136Attachment 115137

Jeremy here is a thread with 14 pages of posts about barber hone characteristics. That ought to keep you busy for awhile. I don't know that amalgamite hone and the Swaty has a stamping I've not seen before. They did some moving around over the years but AFAIK they are all good.

Generally I keep a Swaty in the medicine cabinet for touch ups which is what I've always thought they are for. Mess with them and see how they work for you.

A swaty you've never seen? 20k posts and this is something new? I feel that this is an accomplishment :)

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Originally Posted by brooksie967

A swaty you've never seen? 20k posts and this is something new? I feel that this is an accomplishment :)

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Didn't you read that other thread ? A lot of posts doesn't indicate someone knows anything ...... :chapeau

That thread is FUN and there's a lot of eye candy but not sure these will have a place in my progression. Perhaps just as part of the collection to show off?

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Originally Posted by brooksie967

That thread is FUN and there's a lot of eye candy but not sure these will have a place in my progression. Perhaps just as part of the collection to show off?

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No no, not that thread, this tread ...... http://straightrazorpalace.com/conve...ost-count.html

LOL.

Still in the dark about the hones and if they are useful in my progression.

I'm now curious about this SRD swaty as well, clearly stamped austria but apparently made by the same company as the other one i've got?

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Originally Posted by brooksie967

LOL.

Still in the dark about the hones and if they are useful in my progression.

I'm now curious about this SRD swaty as well, clearly stamped austria but apparently made by the same company as the other one i've got?

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They were in business a long time and wars and such caused them to move. I'm familiar with what I thought was he earliest 3 line ,"WharingbeiWein" Austria. Then came Marburg Austria (two line). Not sure about yours.

No matter what anyone tells you as to where your barber hones belong in your progression, you're going to have to figure it out for yourself. My opinion is that they belong in a drawer, but they are pretty hones. :)

I used to collect them; and still regularly use barber hones as my final hone. In my experience, the majority of barber hones fit between a Norton 8k and a generic 12k. Some few are under 8k, even fewer are over 12k (if any).

Yours is also the first Vormals Swaty that I've ever seen or heard of.

I did a quick search for 'Franz Swaty Vormals' through google and there are quite a few examples of it with some refrence to the american hone co. Definitely doesn't feel like the Swaty's that are claimed to be 10k-12k

I really dont see any of these being helpfull in your progression, that said you might want to use them to touch up a razor when it starts to show signs of a weaker edge. Enjoy!
Your progression could use something in the 4k range, just my opinion!

I agree, right now i'm just using a thick muddy slurry on the 'DT" from the welsh trio to increase abrasiveness. I'm having really excellent results but would like something in that range as well.

Another interesting thread about Swatys!
http://straightrazorpalace.com/hones...-made-usa.html

OOOOOoooooooo... a two-sided Amalgamite. Neat. I have a one-sided one that is all the brown material. I use it as a pre-finisher, in place of a 8K-ish hone. It's fairly fast, and builds up swarf if I don't use use lather. I lapped it flat once, and now just rub the swarf off against a finish hone under water when it builds up, which keeps it flat.

Now all I can think about is perhaps making a trade for something to fill in the gap I have.....

Brooksie,

Judging from the photo, I would hazard a guess that the Swaty has been lapped. In all likelihood it was as smooth as the Amagamit before lapping.

and, steady use will make it so again! Read up on barber hones, I know there were threads around here someplace that discussed refreshing the surface on them.
I use them in the bathroom, for a quick touch up if a razor starts to feel off in the middle of a shave. A choice between a finish on a barber stone and a nice thurry stone is no contest. But I will admit you can get a fine shave off them after an 8K and my nicest stones can rival the Nani12k

I'll contact the guy who sold them to me and ask if he has ever lapped them. They LOOK brand new in person and both top/bottom and the sides look/feel exactly the same.

I have a two-sided Amalgamite. The fine side is my "finishing stone", finer than an 8K Norton. You can check the grit size with a 10x loupe, if you want.

I can't tell you how it compares with the Swaty, unfortunately.

. Charles

"Vormals" is German for "formerly", your Swaty is saying "formerly of Marburg". I'm not clear where exactly it fits in the lineage but it's definitely later on. If I understand correctly, Swaty was originally in Wahring, Austria. Then Marburg, Austria. Apparently Marburg became part of Yugoslvia and that's when you started having the Yugoslavian Swaty's. Maribor is the same place as Marburg, just in Yugoslavian as opposed to in German.
I've read that some people test their Barber hones, trying them after certain stones and then examining the edge under magnification to see if the edge is improved or worsened.