Thread: If you could only have one......

barber hone.

Originally Posted by hi_bud_gl

barber hone.

^ What Sham said. Barber hone. Period.

Yellow Belgian coticule. That's what I use to maintain my edges. There are times when I like to experiment but the Belgian hone is what I use to maintain my blades.

Regards,
EL

Yellow Coticule.

For 100 bucks? A Barber's hone and a Norton 4/8k combo....

Barber hones are the luck of the draw...
The best earn a solid yes. But you cannot audition them on Ebay.

Given the less than $100 budget the classic good
answer is a Norton 4/8K combo hone and some sheets
of wet dry to lap it on a counter top or granite tile.

Perhaps there is a new contender.
Lately I am enamored of the SS12K hone.
Naniwa Super Stone 12,000 (or 10,000) sits
high on my list because a razor that was sharp
last fortnight only needs to visit the Super Stone
for a small number of laps to be good to go again.

I have been trying this on the last couple weeks so I
am still holding my opinion but the early returns are
taking me to a single fine grit Super Stone as a refresh
hone.

Lapping is important for both the Norton and the SS.
But a flat granite tile and a package of wet dry paper
under running water seems to cover that base for a lot
less than a DMT which would bust the given budget.

Under $100... Norton 4/8k combi stone...

No way in hell I'm going back to one hone, THEY'RE ALL MINE... MINE I TELL YOU!!!!

Under $100? Barber hone or Coticule. Or maybe one of the high grit Naniwas, like 10k or 12k.

The Norton 4/8k is really all I need.

My Chinese Guangxi polishing hone and
Osaki natural Japanese finishing hone
are just "frosting on the honing cake".

My vote would be for 2 abrasive pasted paddle strops. A 1.0 micron diamond on one and a 0.5 micron ChromeOx on the other. Keep them separate and covered. Use only when the shave starts to pull a bit.
A Barber hone is not as fine a grit and the hone needs to be prepped properly but it is a good tool to have.

Just my $.02 this early morning!,