Thread: Barber Hones Under A Microscope

Originally Posted by bth88

I never said it was a Swaty either. I said one of them claimed its fine side to be a Swaty knockoff (they hinted in the hone notes that this side was made of the same method as the great Swaty hones of Austria). They both have a Swaty look abouts their fine grit sides.


Ahhh, you like to argue for the sake of arguing.

You are absolutely right, you did say Swaty knock off not Swaty. Although I still stand by my statements about barber hones and their relative working grits I appologize for not reading your post as carefully as I should have. I really did not intend to start an argument over this matter just a discussion. Have fun.

Originally Posted by heavydutysg135

You are absolutely right, you did say Swaty knock off not Swaty. Although I still stand by my statements about barber hones and their relative working grits I appologize for not reading your post as carefully as I should have. I really did not intend to start an argument over this matter just a discussion. Have fun.

Don't worry about it bth88. he's a San Diegan! We're all like that in San Diego Co.

Originally Posted by JMS

Don't worry about it bth88. he's a San Diegan! We're all like that in San Diego Co.

I hope you're kidding?

Originally Posted by bth88

I hope you're kidding?

Yeah I'm kidding.













only heavyduty is like that!

No I am too JMS!

Originally Posted by bth88

No I am too JMS!

Your location? Northpark, as in northpark in San Diego?

If you want to have an aproximate indication of grit number you must see what happens to the bevel under the same presure and not the hones structure
Par example the blue belgian who most people says that is slow cutting for a 4000 grit makes for me same results with a norton 8000, so it is fast cutting, compared to norton 8000

Originally Posted by JMS

Your location? Northpark, as in northpark in San Diego?

sà señor

bth88,

I agree with heavyduty and dylandog on this one. It's very cool that you're checking things out with your microscope--any data you collect will be helpful in some way. But looking at the surface of the stone doesn't necessarily tell you what grit it is. Neither does feeling it, actually.

I think if you took the particles from a Norton 4K and embedded them in a very hard matrix like a barber hone, you'd end up with a slower cutting 4K. The particles wouldn't be making as much contact with the steel, so they'd make shallower grooves.

Examining the bevel after using the stone is a better approach, because grit size is only part of the equation. Another factor is the shape of the particles and how much they contact the steel.

I have barber hones that feel rougher than my 4K but polish better than the 8K Norton. I also have hones that feel smooth as glass but don't produce a very fine edge in my hands.

Don't quit experimenting, though!

Josh

This is a very informative thread for me. When I'm grinding something I can tell a grit size on a grinding wheel basically by looking at it, much the way you can get a gauge of grit size on sandpaper by looking at the paper. I'm gathering with these ultra fine stones (natural/synthetic) all that goes out the door?