Thread: Renewing a Smooth Barber Hone

I just recieved a Pike Black Beauty whick I picked up on ebay.
This stone is very black and VERY smooth. I'm talking porcelain smooth. It had some minor dings in the edge so I sanded them out and ran the flat sides over the 400 grit paper just to freshen them up. Here's my question: If this stone is "full" how can I tell and am I able to reneew it with this method? I've been very gently pushing my new razor over it, but I don't notice any change. The blade is sharp, just not quite sharp enough to cut a hanging hair or shave with. What should I be doing?

Sorry; just to be sure, that's an old barber hone and the 'new' blade is only new to me. It's a 1920's Dubl Duck Special No. 1.

Hey Xman,

What do you mean by renew the barbers hone?

Typicaly they are lapped in pairs. one hone rubbed against another, wet.

Don't rinse the slury. helps with the honing.

By "renew" I mean remove the metal filings so it cuts and as for the slurry ... WHAT SLURRY !!! ... I'm telling you this puppy is smooth as the proverbial baby bottom and water only beads away!

Lapping it with another hone will renew it. So will sandpaper on a piece of marble or a counter. the action of rubbing 2 hones together will create slurry.

I would do it over running water if you're using 2 hones.

Scouring powder does an excellent job of cleaning up hones that are clogged, alothough it's no good for waterstones, which don't need such treatment. I work my hones over with a diamond hone when necessary. It makes short work of any unevenness or loss of abrasion.

It sounds like like you have a "finishing" hone. The initial bevel and the 4000 grit edge will have to be created first using other, coarser, hones. Then move on to the finishing hone.

If your hone is fouled with metal filings then you will be able to see them on the hone. The 400 grit sandpaper probably removed most of them. You should use the finest sandpaper you can find or another hone to finish off that hone and create as smooth a surface as possible. Be sure to clean off the hone under running water and use a nylon scrubbing pad to remove all loose particles before you use that hone. Then use the finishing with water. I do not worry about a "slurry". A slurry is typically used on Japanese waterstones and Belgian stones. Not classic
barber hones, Norton, diamond or ceramic hones.

Just my two cents,

Clean the hone with detergent. Then with Kerosene. Then with detergent. Soap should work just fine, but I think the liquid detergent is a bit stronger.

--Vincent

I think that the smooth like porcelain finish you talk about is as good as it gets. You don't need to do anything except use the hone in the same way as others use diamond paste.

I suggest you get some liquid soap. The sort you squirt by pressing the top of a bottle. Or if you don't have this, washing up liquid the sort you use for washing dishes will do.

Put the soap on the hone and put the razor flat on the hone. Now push etc.,
You should find that the soap pulls the blade onto the hone like a magnet.
You should also see the soap turns a little grey from the filing from the honing of the razor.

If you don't, I suggest you throw the thing away, because it doesn't work.

Also, if you don't like the finish a porcelain type stone gives, I suggest you use DOVO double edge Razor blades in a safety razor to understand what sharp means. I hope this helps, but come back if I have confused you.