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

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.

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

Honestly, to me, THIS is the true beauty of the straight razor.

That does have a very simple beauty to it. Very nice sir.

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

I've been shaving with one razor, one strop, and one barber hone for about 4 years now.

Does not compute...