Thread: How many laps do you guys do on a barber's hone?

So after about a month (30 shaves or so) of getting a sharpened full hollow, it seemed to be well, less than sharp. My stropping technique probably does not help. Seems kind of 'skippy' and wont cut arm hair above the skin or do the HHT.

Well, I did about 8 laps on a swatty, 50 on a chrome-oxide pasted webbing and it feels on my face pretty much the same (and wouldnt pass HHT either). I know a lot of barber hones say 6 laps only, but should I keep lapping? I'm afraid of over-honing.

Thanks guys!

-Mike

don't be afraid of swaty go head continue until you get satisfied result. Don't put pressure on the blade.

Who honed it originally might have something to do with it also, was it honed with a taped spine???

50 laps on Chrome Ox seems excessive to me, but I don't really know. I use it on balsa but I haven't needed more than 10-15 laps. Honemeisters how many should it be? Thanks

No tape while honing, it was honed by a resident honemaster here... So I'll give the swatty another jab tomorrow. Thank you gentlemen.

I am about as far from an expert as you can get, but I use a barber hone (Swaty) to touch up razors honed by experts like Sham and Lynn. I take it 10 laps at a time, then try the thumb pad and hanging hair tests. It depends on how big a touch up the razor needs, but I generally need to to 20--40 laps, depending.

On one of the threads here I saw someone write that 5 laps after each shave will keep the razor touched up. That might be the genesis of the 4-5 lap "barber" advice. These are very fine grit hones (at least the ones I've used), so that few laps won't do much.

I've been doing 5-7 laps, depending upon the razor. That seems to be working for me. Lubricating the barber hone with shaving cream, btw.

I have a "two line" Swaty, and five to ten laps seems to do a good job. I use water on mine.