Barber Hones From Tilly

I just received a set of hones from Tilly at Red Trader. I got the- Beginner Package of Hones #1. It includes a Cushion Strop hone (6 1/2") identified as coarse, a Gem, identified as medium and a Frictionite hone identified as fine. The site notes that these hones will give enough variety to handle most blade needs. Tilly said that the frictionite hone was a suitable touch up hone. All the hones felt quit fine so I must assume that the terms coarse, medium and fine are relative. Also after inspection they all appear astonishingly flat. At this point, so new to straight shaving, I am not interested in restoration or setting bevels. I would be happy to send my razors out for honing when really dull, however, I would like to be able to do a light touch up, if I need be. Help. Does anybody know about these hones, or know anybody on SRP that I can ask. Again, I reach out to the collective knowlege of the group.

Michael-

I've never had any luck with them, but some hold them in their palm which is quite comfortable, other lay them on their thigh. Using them dry is possible, but with water apparently works better and lathering them works better still. that's what they told me anyhow.

X

Most barber hones are designed for touch ups more than for bevel creation. Thier courseness is more a relation to the speed, thus the number of strokes needed for a touch up.

I suggest you look up the proper stroke technique and try to use the finest first for touch ups. Move down to the "courser" ones if you get no reaction to the initial work.

These hones work slowly, which for a beginner is a good thing.

An x pattern with about 20 strokes on the finest barber hone should "touch up" a professionally honed edge. But as always I'd start with 10 and test shave.

Otherwise they are pretty much the same as any other hone.

Yes, you can use them with lather, or water, or dry and these equate to very fine, fine, and less fine respectively for each given hone.

Thus, in theory, in the right hands, you have 3 hones with 9 potential speeds of cutting. Quite the arsenal, again, in the right hands.

X is right though. Some barber hones just don't seem to work very well. Most take a while to get the hang of.

Do yourself a favor and get a vintage razor to practice on. Pay close attention to the rate of change that occurs with each hone and the feel of the hone.


Just my two cents,:)

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Originally Posted by Michael-

I just received a set of hones from Tilly at Red Trader. I got the- Beginner Package of Hones #1. It includes a Cushion Strop hone (6 1/2") identified as coarse, a Gem, identified as medium and a Frictionite hone identified as fine. The site notes that these hones will give enough variety to handle most blade needs. Tilly said that the frictionite hone was a suitable touch up hone. All the hones felt quit fine so I must assume that the terms coarse, medium and fine are relative. Also after inspection they all appear astonishingly flat. At this point, so new to straight shaving, I am not interested in restoration or setting bevels. I would be happy to send my razors out for honing when really dull, however, I would like to be able to do a light touch up, if I need be. Help. Does anybody know about these hones, or know anybody on SRP that I can ask. Again, I reach out to the collective knowlege of the group.

Michael-

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Just a word of advice if you happen to get another barber hone...Don't assume that it's fine by the way it feels. I got really caught up on this, and couldn't figure out why a glass like natural stone that I have was making my razor dull, whereas my aloxide hone that felt like emery board was putting a good edge on my razors.

The 6 1/2 inch is a respectably fast cutter for a barber hone. I had a lot of removal to do with the CMon I had recently gotten and I wasn't nearly as long as anticipated.
I'd gone from that medium grit Gem to a leather strop and had a decent shave, but you would wanna follow up on paste or at least the frictionite. The Gem feels smoothest, but it is not the finest finisher, I've learned.

That is exactly what my current hone situation is, btw, it's really all I've needed on my last few razors which I got in varying conditions.
6 1/2" (I glued leather to the back to paste), Gem medium, and frictionite 24.

:) hay i just baught the hone set from tilly and i was wondering if you guys use water or lather on them?

You can use water, lather, or water with Dawn on them, or even dry.

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Originally Posted by Michael-

Also after inspection they all appear astonishingly flat.

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Yes, they do look very flat. However, I have started lapping my hones (got the #2 package with the slightly shorter Cushion Strop hone) on 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper, soaked in water and laid flat on a piece of glass. When I did that, I realised the hones aren't quite as flat as they seemed. They do need lapping (i.e. flattening) a bit. I'm hoping to take them all up to 1200 grit at least, and maybe take the Frictionite #24 up to 2000 grit. Hopefully they will work a little better once I get them to be totally flat and have a fine surface.

/Nicholas