Thread: Barber Hones

I'd be intersted in hearing what you guys use on your barber hones. Lather, Water, Oil, Dry, along with the whys and basically how many stroikes it is taking you to get the razor where you want it. Any favorite brands?

I think redtradder99's experience with the hone factory confirms my experience than all barber hone are pretty similar if not outright identical. The only difference is the stamp used on the clay before it was fired.

I use mine dry because its less messy and I like the tactile feedback it gives me over a whetted hone. Since a barber stone is meant to be used only on a nearly keen edge, only a few strokes are need generally.

If you're in the market for a barber stone, my advice is pay a bit more and get one with two grits. Typically these will have a gray coarser side, and the regular reddish side. Dubl duck hones were typically two colors, two degrees of coarseness. Nicks to the stone on the short ends are nothing to worry about. Nicks on the long sides are. Having unblemished long sides allows you to flip the stone around if one orientation gets a bit of a "glaze" on it.

Crap .... "glaze" ---> a thin layer of razor metal that clogs the cutting action of the hone. A toothbrush and kitchen cleanser powder will remove a glaze nicely.

I dont know if this is a good thread to ask this in or not.. but since David mentioned the chipped hones:
Has anyone tryed to re-cut a chipped/broken hone ?
It would seem like you might be able to do it with your tile/masonry saw and the right blades...

Just a random though...

I guess if you dont have a proper blade it would be more cost effective to just replace the hone :lol:

Originally Posted by Kelly

I dont know if this is a good thread to ask this in or not.. but since David mentioned the chipped hones:
Has anyone tryed to re-cut a chipped/broken hone ?
It would seem like you might be able to do it with your tile/masonry saw and the right blades... <<snip>>

They only start out about 2" wide .... there are limits

Yes,
But most of the better hones Ive seen run 5"-6" so trimming an inch or even a half inch wouldnt be that problematic.
Even at 2" wide, trimming a half inch off just to save a favorite hone would make sence if it were possible.

I have taken a hone over to my belt sander and taken the nicks out with that. Frankly, I dislike sharp edges on hones, the blade seems more apt to "catch" on a sharp edge when my honing pressure is not just right . I prefer to round off the edge on hones in general

Just my two cents,.

I agree Randy,
In fact I took the back edge of a knife blade and gently worked the sharp edge down a little on my Norton. I thought I was the only one that did that to hones :lol: due to some inability to avoid the edge... good to hear some one else has had the same concern.

Randy and Kelly, I too round the edges of all my hones. No small undertaking when you have a large collection, but to me it is certainly worth it. Stones are very easily chipped if you have a sharp edge anywhere, and with an expensive stone, that can be costly. By rounding the edges, top, bottom and side, you greatly increase the strenth of the stone so if it should (heaven forbid) hit a faucet, blade, other stone, or any other hard surface, it will have an improved chance of not chipping.

Bob

Originally Posted by Kelly

I dont know if this is a good thread to ask this in or not.. but since David mentioned the chipped hones:
Has anyone tryed to re-cut a chipped/broken hone ?
It would seem like you might be able to do it with your tile/masonry saw and the right blades...

Just a random though...

I guess if you dont have a proper blade it would be more cost effective to just replace the hone :lol:

I've been trying to grind down an Austrian Swaty. I use vinigar (to disolve the hone) and sandpaper on a leval surface, and a ****ing lot of elboy grease. So far I've but several hours into it and it has started to take the nicks out, but not made the hone ding-free :x . I plan on finishing though. Swaty's are usually pretty thick, BTW. I doubt I could pull this off on some of the thinner ones....

(In case I'm not clear on what I'm doing: The hone has some tiny dings on the top and bottom faces, around the edges. So a lay it face down on sand paper, with stinking vinegar everywhere, and start gridin'. This makes the hone thinner.)

--Vincent

Originally Posted by uthed

I think redtradder99's experience with the hone factory confirms my experience than all barber hone are pretty similar if not outright identical. The only difference is the stamp used on the clay before it was fired.

Dave,

I'm just wondering how identical you mean. Were there any notable exceptions?

I think there is a noticeable difference in the texture of some hones....but we are talking very small degrees. I think an Austrian Swaty is noticeably smoother then an American made 3-line Swaty.

When I touch up an edge it's:
several strokes on a 3-line Swaty.
A few more on an Algamite + maybe some stropping on an abrasive strop at this point.
Finish on an itsapeech.
I back-hone on the Swaty at the end.

Now this may well be over kill in terms of how many hones I use . But one "nice" thing about the barber hones is that they cut very slowly. So it feels pretty hard to screw up a razor. Even if you're as clumsy as me. But gosh darn does it take forever to get an edge on an eBay special (I start w/ a new 2-grit Super Punjab in that case)!

--Vincent