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Thread: Info on Vintage John Primble Hone Block

  1. #1
    Smooth Operator MrDavid's Avatar
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    Question Info on Vintage John Primble Hone Block

    Preamble: I am brand-new to honing, having started a while back with ready-to-shave razors and a twin-sided DOVO strop. I've been searching for a barber's hone to use for touch-ups between full honings, which are only done every 6-12 months (I'm rotating five razors).

    And so it is that I have come across a vintage John Primble Razor Hone, but I cannot find any information on it in the Wiki. This seems to be similar in size and appearance to Swaty barber hones I have seen on eBay and classifieds. From what I can find online, Primble was apparently a knife, razor, and accessories distributor based in Kentucky for most of the 20th century. The company distributed Boker razors, but I have not been able to find anything on their hones. The hone I picked up is in excellent shape, and appears to be from the 1920-1940's (my best guess - see photos).

    Questions - does anyone here have knowledge of the Primble hones and whether or not it would be an appropriate finishing/touch-up hone to keep my razors keen between more formal, annual trips to a honing expert? Does anyone know any more history of these hones that they might be able to share?

    Cheers.
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    Last edited by MrDavid; 09-06-2009 at 02:00 PM. Reason: David kant spel gud.
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  2. #2
    Senior Member blabbermouth JimmyHAD's Avatar
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    I don't have any hands on experience with the Primble hone. I can tell you that among pocket knife collectors they are a premium brand. Their 'India Steel" pocket knives in particular are highly sought after. From the photo it looks very like a Swaty and it is quite possible that it was made by them.

    Primble was a distributor/vendor not a manufacturer of hones or razors. Most of their razors were Solingen made and 'good' razors. I would bet the hone would be a good one too. The only way to find out is to experiment with it when one of your babies needs a bit of touching up. Let us know how you make out.
    Be careful how you treat people on your way up, you may meet them again on your way back down.

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  4. #3
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    I have one also. Didn't get the nice box with mine. I have honed all my razors with it & it works just fine. I use Smith's honing solution that I added a little Marvel mystery oil to & it hones my straight razors great. I saw an old ad somewhere on the net. but there was really no info on the make up of the hone.
    Dave Huffman

  5. #4
    Senior Member MattCB's Avatar
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    Our very own Modine wrote up a good reveiw of this hone HERE. From the write up it looks to be a 10k to 12k stone. I have a Primble straight and a Primble strop, but haven't been able ot snag a barber hone yet. Good score!
    The older I get the more I realize how little I actually know.

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    I too picked up a John Primble 5/8 India Steel straight razor early this year at an antique store but I have never seen a John Primble stone or strop. I guess I will have to keep an eye out.


    Mike

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