Thread: Does anyone use a barber's hone like old barbers did?

Originally Posted by riooso

I use a felt pad impregnated with 0.1 CBN like a barber uses a barbers hone. It is fast and very effective. Stropping will accomplish a lot of the same things but I don't find it time efficient. Five to ten laps on the felt will give an amazingly keen edge and I have to use it, in general, about every 3 shaves. When I feel the edge drop off every so slightly and am about ready to do an ATG pass some laps on the felt are very nice. This does not mean that I don't use a strop. Stropping should be considered an integral part of blade maintenance.

Take Care,
Richard

I have come to like the CBN edge so much that for a while I have been using a CBN imrpegnated paddle strop daily.

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

Absolutely! I only use barber hones. I will touch up the blade about every 30 shaves. After say the 29th shave I'll note a little pull or something feels weird with the edge. At the end of the shave I will use my lathered brush and wipe lather on the barber hone. Then do about 10 passes. Most people recommend 6. I always do 10, but with lather. If the edge felt funny, like a burr, I do 2 circular strokes, the 10. Always x pattern of course. I've been shaving with one razor, one strop, and one barber hone for about 4 years now. Honestly, to me, THIS is the true beauty of the straight razor.

^^^^^^^^^^ This is it! Did this for years before I found SRP, Ron/Utopian and I would talk about this all of the time trying to promote the use of barber hones, you do not need 10k$ worth of rocks to maintain a razor. If a guy would do what Alan is doing he would find "the true beauty of the straight razor, as a friend of mine used to say"it's so simple it's stupid". Everyone who uses a straight needs a barbers hone, it is the correct tool in the kit and should be learned before investing in synthetic and natural hones. It will teach you to hone without any risk of screwing up the blade.

i have a barber hone one strop and one razor, and ive shaved quite a few people that wanted to experiance a close shave, utopia is the king of barber hones, with a good barber hone you can maintain a sharp razor for a lifetime. well worth the money

I love Barber's hones, I own quite a few of them. Up until recently I didn't like the shave off them all that much, very rough compared to Eschers, coticules, Japanese hones etc. Lately I found that if you strop enough after using the Barber's hone the edge gets smooth quick and shaves nice without the rough spots. That and not using an ATG pass at all anymore helped a lot, I only use a slicing motion now when I shave.

I like bar soap rubbed on these more than shaving lather, the thinner soap seems to help the edge more.. I dunno.

Sometimes I'm very tempted to only use coticules and old barber's hones like the old guys did..

Hi,

Yes, a barbers hone is key part of my maintenance tools. A barber's hone every few days keeps the heavier hones away. I use mine about once a week. It's a traditional swaty.

- mike

After getting my razors honed well initially, I use a barber's hone which I got from Glen (gssixgun) and have been very pleased with the results. BTW: Not sure if anyone has already responded to one of the points in the original post about how to use one, but he has a great youtube video on how to use a barber's hone too.

Yup I think it's all been said, once you have a good edge on the razor a quick couple passes on a good barbers hone I use lather and find it works just fine and keeps my blade and working longer for quite some time. I had a three line Swaty and find that it keeps a good edge good, and I always strop afterwards.

A 12k hone used once a week like a barber hone is also a good solution.

I have a dozen+ barber hones and while they are all a little different they
all do have one thing in common.... that is "less is more". A light touch
often with lather and limit yourself to five or six hone strokes, canvas, leather
and enjoy.

I've got a 3 line american barber hone , that is acatuly nos, this was a barbers hone and a ezy edge barber hone. i never tryed them yet . I must give them a whirl

gary

Originally Posted by Kees

I have come to like the CBN edge so much that for a while I have been using a CBN imrpegnated paddle strop daily.

Sorry not to notice your reply for so long I have had a family emergency lately. I also find that for travel the felt is very handy. Another benefit is that I have a Robert Williams that I have used tape on and when using the felt on it I don't have to do anything special because felt gives enough to get the edge. I also don't have to worry about a bad stroke on felt because one is using a stropping motion.

The bad part.....I have this beautiful J-Nat that is seeing absolutely no action!

Take care,
Richard