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I have this RELIANCE Barber hone that has a red side and a grey side. The description indicates that it is made of silicon carbide. I'm not sure which side is the coarce one? Does any one know about these stones, I would like to know how it would compare to a Norton 4000/8000?
Assuming the red side is more of a reddish-brown, then this is a very common type of hone, made by multiple manufacturers and sold under hundreds of different names. My Dubl Duck hone is the same type of hone. The grey side is the coarse and the brown side is the fine.
I have no idea of the grit, none of the barber hones were rated for grit. However, since these were made for use by professional shavers, they're clearly up to the task of getting a razor sharp. The problem is that these guys were professionals, and professionally trained, and we're just amateurs making it up as we go along, so you may not get the sort of results out of that hone that a 1910 barber would have.
The "Reliance" combination barber hone was made by the American Hone Company. It is an excellent barber hone. The darker silicon carbide is the faster cutting side. I use this side to quickly establish an edge.
The reddish brown side (possibly aluminum oxide) is finer and slower cutting. In the instructions, this side is compared to the Swaty hone.
This hone can be used dry, with lather, or just water. If you have seen the short demo video of me honing a razor, I am dry honing on the red side of a Reliance hone. It is unfortunate that this hone is no longer made.
I've never used the Norton hone so couldn't give you a comparison.
Scott