Thread: Barber Hones

I've used a Swaty and the Carborundum 103 with great results and the Lithide hone with spotty results. With the Lithide some razors worked and some wouldn't, so I tossed it.

I have never tried to hone up a razor with a barber hone, I only update with them. Well I take that back I used to a few years ago use them as my "finishing stones" because I didn't understand how to use the 8K side of the Norton.

I use the Carborundum with 6-30 light strokes, usually dry then with lather.

The Swaty is kinda funny, a little inconsistent (I think its my fault some) but it either puts the sharpest edge on the planet on a razor or produces an ok edge. It responds better to carbon for me.

What I like the most is how slow they are and how its nearly impossible to over hone with the Carborundum. Its a very wierd hone, almost has a semi pourous surface. The all come with specific directions for how to update hone an edge you've been shaving with, usually in the 6-10 light strokes area. My favorite text was "to use a light airy stroke" not only did that work well but my honing improved on every stone when I started using light airy strokes.

Now I find the Norton far better, just like you, but there was something cool that happend to my honing when using a barber hone that made everything click.

I have a fairly substantial collection of barber hones as they're cheap and I love to see the different names imprinted into the stone. I don't like these stones for honing razors or anything else. I've bought a number of them new from Tilly as well as on the yard sale market. The ones I've gotten from Tilly tend to be too small for my tastes. I like my stones like I like my women... broad and substantial. Gives me something to work with. These stones tend to be good for touchups but for honing... not so much. Just my opinion!

OK, I have just finished my shave...

For a quick update on the Itsapeech. I took a razor that was starting to pull, sprinkled a bit of water on the itsapeech, and took a try.

Well, after some 10 or so strokes, med and low pressure, the Itsapeech seems to work fine. By the scratch marks on the bevel, I guess it is somewhere between 4000 and 6000 grit. The shave was as good as usual.

So, that's my input considering barber hones. I think I'll continue using them, if not exclusively, than as a Norton 4000 substitute, and/or finish afterwards on something finer...

When and if I get another barber hone, I'll update here.


Nenad

I have two Barber hones, A Keen Kutter Kombination and a two line swatty. The swatty seems to be courser. 5 to 7 strokes to refresh a razor depending. The Kutter is a little slower. 7 to 10 on the course side, and 5 to 7 on the fine side. A light touch with both. I use the Keen as a finishing polisher after the Norton. Like you would a cuticle. works well for me and can get a razor wicked sharp.

Phil

I have Tilly's starter pack of a cushion strop, a Gem, and a Lithide.

Cushion strop---------good
Gem---------------------good
Lithide------------------JUNK!!!
Wojtec slate-----------OK but seems to cut REAL slow
Jugo swaty------------Haven't used it yet
Coticule----------------Can't beat it with a stick

I also have the Wojtec slate, a small green coticule, a Jugo Swaty, and a couple others.

When resetting the bevel on a ebay I use my knife stone, a large Arkansas stone to remove whatever nicks.

Next it's a sheet of 2000 sandpaper for 50 laps to knock down the big scratches.

I then use the front of the cushion strop until the razor just starts to pull-pop arm hairs.
I have used MAAS on the back of this hone as a slurry to speed removal of larger amounts of metal and it works well. It also clogs the hone up pretty good. When it gets sticky, just add a little oil.
I have found that the clogged hone produces finer scratches under a microscope, so I do about 25 laps on the clogged side of the hone.

To the Gem! Use the Gem until I get the razor to pop arm hairs just before it touches them, normally around 50-200 laps.

If at this point there are spots on the edge that only work so-so I go back to the backside of the cushion strop for 30 more laps.

Back to the Gem till it pre-pops hairs along entire edge.

Next I have my little green coticule.

I have found that one of my major problems was doing too many strokes on the finish hone.
I was doing more and more trying to pass HHT but never got there.

I would then have terrible shaves.

I have found that around 6-14 strokes is plenty on my hone. YMMV depending on stone. Mine clearly states "strictly dry use".

I have actually found that I can shave straight off of the Gem, it's just a little rough.

Now that I have spent about 200 hours(no joke) on the barbers hones it takes less than half of the time it used to. Sometimes less.

At one point I was shopping for a Norton because I was convinced barber hones were junk.
Not so now. I have the utmost confidence in my hones and am buying more whenever I see them.

As a benchmark of how good I have become with barber hones, I got a couple of razors back that I had Joe C hone for me, just to see how sharp a razor was supposed to be.

After looking at one of them under a microscope and one of mine, I saw right away that I was using the finish hone too much.
I changed my system a little and can now get a razor Joe C sharp.
Maybe not the first time, but I can do it.

JEW KEN DEW WHEAT !! (waterboy)

I will occasionally use barber hones too. I have nearly 30 or them as they are inexpensive and something I often find in antique shops I visit.

I got a DD Satin Wedge from Floridayboy the other day that needed some edge work on it. A few waves and a tiny nick or two. Not owning a Norton (yes, that's right...no Norton <g>) I grabbed a Kimberly Special I got from Tilly. Got it wet and did circular movements with a slight pressure until the nick was gone, maybe 5 to 10 minutes. I did quick circlers for a minute on one side, flipped it over and did the other side of the blade and repeated it. I then went to normal honing strops with very light pressure on the same Kimberly. I then went to normal honing strokes on one of my Hunsruecks and on a very fine vintage Belgian I had. Both of those were done with a slurry. That little wegde has turned into one of my favorite shavers now.

Oddly though I rarely do finish honing or touchups on a barbers hone. Guess I need to try that a bit too. Maybe for a mid shave fixer.

Tony

@ GW

What's a green coticule? How do they compare to "ordinary" coticules?

BTW: I do not have a barber hone so cannot comment on them. Maybe after reading all this I may buy one and give it a go. Before reading all this I had the impression Swatys were the best and I had been looking for one on ebay but now I am not too sure whether I want one.

I think it's green with envy from wishing it was yellow?

here is mine , fuzzy pic shows best color
http://straightrazorpalace.com/showt...green+coticule

Here is another one showing good pics
http://straightrazorpalace.com/showt...=green+eschers

Originally Posted by Kees

What's a green coticule? How do they compare to "ordinary" coticules?

I had a green norton once. The only real difference from the standard nortons was the smell :-)

Originally Posted by mparker762

I had a green norton once. The only real difference from the standard nortons was the smell :-)

yuck yuck yuck .....no really!

Seriously though, I wonder if you could just add a little Triclosan to the water??
If it won't eat a dish rag left in it for a week then I think a stone would be ok..