Thread: Hones and grit sizes, Please Help Me

Originally Posted by Joe Lerch

It seems like about a 10K, maybe a little finer. I don't know if it's true in all Swatys, but on the ones I have the branded side is finer than the plain side.

The whole issue of grit is a little unclear, and feeling the surface doesn't tell the whole story. Sometimes, a fine stone, like a Swaty, cuts faster than one that feels rougher. As far as fine stones go, the Swaty is pretty fast, so I wouldn't call it a finishing stone. It's designed for touchups where you want just a few passes to do the trick. The Lithide, when well lapped, feels much smoother and is slower, but doesn't produce a finer finish. The difference is that you have more control at the end since it's slower. So, you're better off using this hone when you're doing a complete honing job rather than just refreshing.

Thanks, Joe. I try to treat the Swaty like a finer grit than the Norton 8k, now I feel better that I have a little confirmation.
-Fred

Originally Posted by cudahogs

Thanks, Joe. I try to treat the Swaty like a finer grit than the Norton 8k, now I feel better that I have a little confirmation.
-Fred

If you use the Swaty to keep your razors at a constant level of keen, will need other stones only occasionally. In the old days it was not unusual for a shaver to maintain his razors that way and send them out to a professional on those infrequent occasions when it became necessary.

In fact, I used to go to an old time master barber who used to do just that. Even with the high volume of use in his shop he sent razors no more often than once a month. He had quite a collection, so I don't know how often he would send out a particular razor.