Thread: Barber Hone Use

I just got my very first barber hone. I'm having incredible luck with all my other hones: 4/8k Norton, Chinese Waterstone, Chromium bench hone, but I wanted a barber for some reason. Not like anyone on this site doesn't understand HAS-Hone Accumulation Syndrome! Anyway, how do you hold the doggone thing?! With the name imprint up, or down? Seems like you'd want the name facing up, but that reduces surface area! I've seen drawings of razor honing in a collectors book I own, and it shows name up, but common sense (or my lack of) says you get more bang for the buck imprint down. I don't know!

I've held mine up.
I've had ones intended to have leather glued to the back as a strop (I glud my own), so evidently the engraving points up.
does the other side make for a good honing surface... probably.
Shorter strokes are probably better, I wouldn't worry about that extra .75" or so of surface. I've never cared for the Norton and its length/width advantage much.

I use mine, name up. I put the thumb of the left bent in towards the center of my hand and in the name depression with the hone running parallel with my fingers.



Pictures are better than words.

PuFF

I also use mine name up. I hold it flat on my open palm. It does take a lot more practice to hone this way than flat on a bench but I think it give me more control, somehow.

It's worth pointing out that on some hones label up vs. label down actually changes the grit. On some Swatys, the stamped side is supposed to be finer, even though both sides are roughly the same color. My two-line seems to be this way.

In the barber manual I have, the illustration shows the hone being held label side up.

Short strokes are good, in my opinion. The directions that came with one of my hones encourages you to use short strokes to finish the edge.

Josh

Thanks guys! What got me thinking about name down was kind of what PuFFaH showed only upside down! When I held the hone upside down, my middle finger kind of fit into the recess of the name branding and it stopped the hone from shifting. But, I guess using it right side up with my thumb holding her down there makes sense too. Just seems like a waste of good brick to only use the "short" side. Thanks again.

Other than two-sided hones, I can't tell any difference between one side and the other. I've lapped both sides for use. I rarely dry hone because it seems to create a glaze. But if I'm in a hurry and pick up a dry hone, I flip it over well before a freshly lapped surface becomes shiny.

If no blood is shed, it could be your hold on the hone is just fine.

Regards