To get this thread back on track before things get any uglier...

The old barber manuals preached that a good newbie touchup hone is one that's a slow cutter. Of the hones I've tried so far, the coticule best fits the bill. Barber hones can be tricky to use, and the Norton is a fast cutter and requires a bit more practice.

We don't have a lot of guys who have started with a coticule as their first hone, though, so I don't know if this theory holds water. It does seem logical to me, though.

A 4" long coticule is less than $50 at www.theperfectedge.com.

Josh