Thread: Barber hone instead of pasted strop?

This has probably been asked and answered, but I'll try anyway...

For those of you who like to use barber hones, once the razor starts to feel like its pulling a little bit do you prefer to refresh it with a pasted strop or do you go directly to your barber hone for a few passes?

For me, I get about a weeks worth of daily shaving off a fresh blade before it starts to pull noticeably and I have tried both methods and am trying to decide whether the barber hone would cause excessive wear if used weekly (ie: 4 or 5 light strokes per week).

Thanks,
Dave

I have both a barbers hone and a pasted strop, and like them both, if i was in your situation i would use the pasted strop until you cant refresh it anymore then use a barbers hone, also i would invest in getting another razor( or 2 or 3 or 4 hahaha) and use a rotation that way your razors will alot longer with out having to touch up as often

Originally Posted by thewatermark

I have both a barbers hone and a pasted strop, and like them both, if i was in your situation i would use the pasted strop until you cant refresh it anymore then use a barbers hone, also i would invest in getting another razor( or 2 or 3 or 4 hahaha) and use a rotation that way your razors will alot longer with out having to touch up as often

I disagree, if you have the hone, what do you need the pasted strop for?

Originally Posted by nun2sharp

I disagree, if you have the hone, what do you need the pasted strop for?

Well i originally I had a pasted strop, and wanted a barbers hone just to have one, and In my experience only (could be different for other people) the pasted strop works great for me when i need a little touch up or i first start to notice it pulling. When i need something a little more ill use the barbers hone, it may just be me but i can tell a difference, but to each his own

Ok dumb newbie question What is the definition of a "barber hone"?

Is it as i believe a slow cutting stone with a fine grit rating like a chineese 12k?

Also i asked a similar question on here and this is the reply i got, makes sense to me

Originally Posted by niftyshaving

Yes.... and no.

Barbers hones have a reputation for being very different.
Some are fast, some slow, smooth, rough.... In general
they are all light touch, five strokes and you are finished hones.

CrOx is softer and finer than all but perhaps the finest barber hone.

I think the only answer that makes sense to me is that CrOx being
less abrasive is better to use as a touch up first. Eventually CrOx
will not improve the edge so a more aggressive hone will be needed
and a good barber hone could do the trick. If you have one
of the better barber hones sure, a bad one no.

One hint might be to use lather with a barber hone unless it
is one of the rare ones that does not need it.

Edit: I am not sure but if you are on Ebray and the barber hone
has an original box it is not as good as a well used one. The good
box might have held a hone that was almost never used.... If the
odds are 1 in four of winning a good hone for less than 40 bucks
the smart money goes for a modern man made finisher.

Originally Posted by BigIan

Ok dumb newbie question What is the definition of a "barber hone"?

Is it as i believe a slow cutting stone with a fine grit rating like a chineese 12k?

A hone for barbers, was once used to keep the edge of your razor as sharpas possible. When the barber(or you) felt the blade starting to catch, pull or tug and stropping wasnt enough to bring it back into line, he could reach into his pocket, grab the barber hone, give the blade a few licks, re strop and go back to work in a very satisfactory manner.

BTW, sometimes a little pasted strop action after the barbers hone aint so bad.

Originally Posted by nun2sharp

A hone for barbers, was once used to keep the edge of your razor as sharpas possible. When the barber(or you) felt the blade starting to catch, pull or tug and stropping wasnt enough to bring it back into line, he could reach into his pocket, grab the barber hone, give the blade a few licks, re strop and go back to work in a very satisfactory manner.

BTW, sometimes a little pasted strop action after the barbers hone aint so bad.

cheers for that i was just wondering as to the construction of a barbers hone. and how they differ to a normal "finishing hone"

I have not had the experiance , if you use paste to touch up your razor that fine . Then there comes a time when your paste does'nt work. Why because the very cutting edge becomes a little convexed. So you have to go back to rehone so then you can carry on using your paste for a thew more months. Going back to barbers hone, may not be enough you may need somthing like 4k to reset the bevel. To avoid this happening i'd just use use your barbers hone and may be one touch up with paste then barbers hone to keep the bevel in a nice v shape at all times.

if you use it right BARBER HONES will do the job forever. gl