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What I mean is, I heard the original purpose of a barber's hone was to do quick touch-ups between the multiple shaves per day they did. Does anyone use them every few shaves just to maintain the edge? How often is too often to use a barber's hone, ie. how often before hone wear starts to set in?
I've been thinking about getting one for touch ups, I just dont know how to use one. Do they need to be wet?
I think that I have one. It came with a box of razors I bought. Mine has two sides, one grey, the other side is brownish red. Mine came with directions in the box. It says it can be used with water, oil or dry. I've used mine with water and lather - both work well with it. I like mine, but I've found that I use it every other month or so for touch-ups and that's enough. I don't think that I would ever need to touch it up more than that. Also, I had to re-condition mine, i.e., took some sil-carbide paper (400 grit) to it and brought it back in shape.
I knew an old barber years ago who carried one in the waist pocket of his barber's smock. He would use it dry if he felt the razor needed some added keenness in between or even in the midst of a shave. He used a coticule for regular honing. A lot of those old guys in the northeast did back then. I reckon all of them used a barber hone in between regular honing.
There is a member on SRP who hasn't been around lately by the name of Utopian. He has posted that before he came to SRP and got into various hones he maintained some razors with a barber hone successfully. So it can be done if the person has acquired the skill. As for how often, I guess as often as needed. At some point a more thorough honing with waterstones would probably be best though.
I've been able to get at least 30-40 shaves on a blade with only stropping before the next shave.
I don't use Barber's Hones, although I have some, and usually touch up with just a few laps on
a 16K or 12K hone.
I have my grandfather's hones. One is a barber's hone, I'm not sure what the other is (it's grey and very smooth to the touch...it's probably carborundum) and between it and the barber's hone I am able to keep my razors extremely sharp. I've even used to to finish a razor that I was putting a new edge on recently when I sanded some pits out of the blade.
I usually put just a little water or lather on the barber hone and do about five passes on it and my razors are good to go again.
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
Just for the fun of it, I have dedicated 2 razors for use solely on a barber-hone.
This far, it is working out just fine.
I find the shaves off my barber hone to be very good to be honest, just with a good linen/leather stropping after say 6-8 laps when it start to go just a little.
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.
That does have a very simple beauty to it. Very nice sir.Quote:
Originally Posted by AFDavis11
Does not compute...Quote:
Originally Posted by AFDavis11
I've found over time that, after "bopping" around trying all my razors, I tend to gravitate to about three. I have one that's a big 6/8 full-hollow; the other two are both 5/8 - one a spike the other a round. I'm most comfortable with these three. I have one I love that I bought for my son; I used it once, cleaned it up and stored it for him for when he gets older.
Not me. I don't think any barber ever texted pics of his new hone to his buddies...and I doubt any of them spent 45 minutes trying to take a picture that would highlight what he considered to be the unique and mysterious quality (makers mark) this hone seemed to exude, at the time of purchase.
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.
Wow-AFDavis shows just how simple and straightforward this hobby can be for those who don't wish to obsess over all the minutiae of numerous stones and honing regimens. Still, I like playing with hones.
But as someone still learning honing's finer points, I remember being advised by one of the honemeisters on this board (I forget which one) to start learning on the finer end: i.e., with finishers, barber hones, and their ilk. It makes sense if you think about it. Learning to touch up a slightly rough bevel is fairly simple for learning the basic strokes; then you can progress to 4/8k pyramids on synthetics, then learn the more advanced bevel-setting stages.
Thus I started honing on a Swaty barber hone, touching up edges that needed some refinement. I find that a Swaty will work just as well dry, but many lather it beforehand. Following that up with about a few laps on CrOx linen, followed by 100 or so laps on colored newsprint, followed by about 30/50 on linen and latigo gives me very keen, smooth edges. There are many paths, all fun to explore!
Yup. The only 'honing' I do is with a barber's hone. I have kept my razors' edges shave ready for well over a year.
Same here but just 1 razor that has only been touched up on a Swaty for the last 3 years still gives perfectly fine shaves..Quote:
Originally Posted by Birnando
I also have a razor that I use to test the Barbers Hones out to decide the type of finish they give, this razor started out with a chipped up dull edge and now after only using Barber's Hones on it over the last year or so, it is shaving again... Keep in mind though it has tested about 100 hones with maybe 10-20 laps per hone so it took 1000-2000 laps to get it shaving again. Not something I would want to do on purpose :) but it can be done..
As some have noted here, there is a difference between Shavers and Hobbyists, to many of us it is the journey that we like, not just the destination...
I still have around 40 barber hones and I play with them occasionally when one of my personal razors starts to fade. Still only using 4-6 laps followed by a linen and then leather stropping. As noted, they are really nice for travel. The key to me with the barber hones it to catch my razor right when it starts not to feel as sharp. If I wait a few days, I usually will touch up on a finishing stone with 10 no pressure X strokes.
Have fun.
Thanks Lynn, I have been trying to heed your warnings and your advice but sometimes I let my impulses get the best of me. I have been trying to stay away from the hones except when the razor pulls and wont hold an edge any longer. But if you say it's okay then I'll give it a shot (and I'll try to remember to tread lightly).
I used nothing but a hone for years... Then i found this site and now i use norton's, jnats, shaptons, thuringian, coticle... I think all of them sharpen well. I have found however that i prefer to take out the thuringian for touch ups.
I believe it would make sense to recommend frequent use of a barbers hone to newbies. They don't know what a sharp edge feels like, and with great edges frequently complain here that the razor is dull. At the least, psychologically it will help. We could tell them every few shaves, apply lather, and hone "just a little."
But, apart from newbies, your question is whether it is a good approach. I have all the hones anyone could want. And, on my own, I use the barbers hone just as you describe, after every 6 or 8 shaves. The blade is still shaving quite well. But, just a few strokes on the barbers hone, taking one minute maybe, and strop as usual, and I would never have to rehone on my professional hones. (I do, every few months, but I have no reason to do so!)
As a SR shaver, and a Barber, ya, I have a couple, and I do use them to touch up the edge. I have to admit though, I still like to use my Coticules more than the barber hones...I'm sure it's just the HAD that I'm infected with...
I have come to like the CBN edge so much that for a while I have been using a CBN imrpegnated paddle strop daily.Quote:
Originally Posted by riooso
^^^^^^^^^^ 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.Quote:
Originally Posted by AFDavis11
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
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kees
The bad part.....I have this beautiful J-Nat that is seeing absolutely no action!
Take care,
Richard
As long as you catch the razor before the edge degrades, and this is the key point. I guess you can call it Preventitive Maintenance. You can maintain them with a Barber's hone indefinitely. I have several, but gravitate towards the Swaty. I keep it out by my razors with an Escher. I did the Swaty exclusively for one year, that's all I used. I actually missed using my other hones. I think I averaged about 5 x strokes every 14 days. No noticeable hone wear, and the blades shaved amazingly well. You can use lather or a few drops of water. I think I read somewhere you can use them dry. YMMV.
So far I've been shaving with the same DOVO Best 6/8 half-hollow for the last year and a half, and I use a barber hone since last Winter.
I've managed to keep a good edge with weekly touchups on the hone, and though it does not equal the edge I got when I had my razor professionally re-honed, it still feels close and clean.
Just got my 3 line Swaty yesterday and did my first touch up with it and it did an amazing job. I couldn't be more pleased.
How many laps do you recommend with this stone for maintenance?Quote:
Originally Posted by niftyshaving
I generally do maybe about ten or so. I think that someone here suggested to us more like five or six.
The swaty is wonderful. I use mine with light lather, make 3-8 strokes and I'm done. Try both sides and see if you feel a difference, old instructions say the stamped side is finer. I can't really tell the difference much...Quote:
Originally Posted by Str8nSharp
I think a lot of guys using barber hones that think they leave a rough edge may be overhoning by using too many strokes, be conservative!
For a barbers hone start at 3-4 strokes and test, I wouldn't go past 8.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hrwa
Trade you a barbers hone for the J-nat. then you wont have to feel bad about its being neglected! I[ll even return it after I get the hang of it. :deal:Quote:
Originally Posted by riooso
Disburden - What you said about the stamped side being finer, well, my hone is an old one and it has labels on it that say something like 'begin with this side - finish with this side.' At first I couldn't tell the difference between the sides, however, after restoring the hone there's a noticeable difference when honing, with the brown side being finer and the grey is obviously the coarser of the two. Of course, after slight use it is similar to the way it was before. I find I mostly use the brown side for simply doing touch-ups.
Yours is definitely a two sided hone. The three line swatys are the same look on both sides and uniform but there's a lot of reports out there that the company said the stamped side is finer although they both are the same visual.
I have a winner hone that's brown on one side 4k level and white on the other side aprox 8k level.
Do a search for a thread called "barber hones characteristics" started by my friend Sham, its great!