Thread: Belgian Blue Grit

I wouldn't suggest a BBW for touchups - it's lower in grit and very slow without slurry.

I have tried going from the 1k to the BBW to the coti and from the 1k stright to the coti. To be honest, I find it much faster and easier not to use the BBW there. Personally, I would only really recommend a BBW as a "plan b" in case your normal honing method isn't working on a razor. It's coarser than a coti, but slower - IMO why bother?

i stopped using my blue. But to be onest i have had some very smooth shaves of blue a lone . i carn't say to miuch because there is a true blue test going on on at coti .be . but the out come i 'm sure will be quite a surprise.

I always wanted a combo stone.

After seeing this pic I might just get one.

Wonder how that experiment is going?

Originally Posted by Stubear

Wow, old thread!

+1 on the barber stone.

A BBW alone probably isnt very good as a touch up stone as its a lower grit stone, and they seem to work better with slurry as well. A BBW with just water just doesnt seem to work so well IME.

If it were a choice between the BBW and a coticule, I'd say get the coticule. Its higher grit, works with just water, and you can make it much lower grit by using a thick slurry.

You could also use any other high grit natural, or one of the high grit synthetics if you prefer. But a barber hone strikes the perfect balance between effectiveness, size and cost.

+1 on the old thread.
+1 on the previous comments.

A good barber hone is more than sufficient, but how to find a good one
without kissing some frogs?

The most consistent and predictable hones are the modern man
made hones. A Norton 4K/8K combo stone with some wet dry
paper to lap the top millimeter off will do as well or better than
80% of the barber hones out there. Combine that with a SS12K
and as long as you start with shave ready blades you will need
nothing more in the way of hones(1).

There is fun and value in catching frogs so keep your eyes out
on eBay and always give a look at the Classifieds for hones.

If there is a trick with barber hones it is four light laps with lather
then strop and shave. More laps will often raise a burr and the
burr will bite you.

(1) There is no inoculation or cure for HAD.
Rumor is that the worlds best hone was found in
the Dry Valley of the Antarctic. The hone was
a slate found overlaying a thin hard coal seam and was
exactly 5.08 cm thick.

Originally Posted by gary haywood

i stopped using my blue. But to be onest i have had some very smooth shaves of blue a lone . i carn't say to miuch because there is a true blue test going on on at coti .be . but the out come i 'm sure will be quite a surprise.

I am assuming that means a new dull - finish honing routine on a BBW is going to be displayed at some point over there, Gary>?