Thread: Hone from Taylors of Old Bond Street

Has anyone had any experience with the hone available from Taylors of Old Bond Street?

http://www.tayloroldbondst.co.uk/aca...P_EDGES_4.html

Is it useable, or is this a no-no? I can see that it is quite narrow compared to other hones I see on here. Is this a problem, or is it just a matter of taste?

Thanks!

It's silicon carbide which if I'm not mistaken is what they used to make barber's hones and even some kinds of strop paste.

This is basically an expensive modern version of a traditional barber's hone, inconveniently small at 4"x1" but ginned up with Taylor's brand-name. Priced per square inch this is costlier than a coticule (Howard sells 4"x2" coticules for $40). And you can get a good 5"x2.5" vintage barber's hone on ebay for $5–10 ($15-30 if it's a Swaty, one of the best-loved brands).

In short yes to both your questions: yes it's usable, yes it's a no go.

This is probably a really basic question, but if one was to by a barbar's hone off ebay, what do you look for. I'd like to have one as I'm just starting honing my own razors, but not sure what to look for. Do they come in different grits, styles, etc. or is a barbar's hone a barbar's hone and just have different brands. I assume they're all used for finishing, no?