Thread: Value of a Swaty, Belgian?

What is a reasonable value for a Swaty or a Belgian?

Also, what's going on with Tony Miller's stones - anyone got these last week?

I am asking, because I have decided that continual maintenance of the razor (vs. waiting for the edge to start pulling before touch up) is what I'd prefer. I don't care if I wear the razor a bit faster - I don't shave every day, and I have no sons... And have more razors than I can justify...

Not that I want a Swaty in particular, just something good that won't require soaking for a few strokes... I have a Lithide and on a couple of razors it works great... not so well on many others, though

Thanks
Ivo

I got a three-line swaty in excellent condition for eight bucks on ebay. Sometimes they go for a lot more, and I don't really understand the variation in prices. I notice that the ones from Maribor in the former Yugoslavia (like mine) seem to go for less than the Austrian or American ones. I've never heard that they're of inferior quality, and mine works great. My theory is that the Yugoslav spelling – "Franç Swaty" instead of "Franz Swaty" – makes ebay-buyers think it's a knockoff or something.

Anyway there's deals to be had.

Howard at theperfectedge.com sells 6 x 2 blue/yellow natural combo Belgians for about $100 I think. He sometimes sells vintage stones if you're worried about quality-control on the new ones (I have a new one and it's terrific). I've never seen a vintage coticule on ebay go for less than $100, but Tony was selling one not too long ago for much less than that...

BTW, are you sure that maintaining a sharp edge causes more hone wear than periodic resharpening?

Izlat,

The Thuringen (Escher) stones shipped from Germany last week. This is a small batch of only a dozen to be sure things go smoothly but many more will be on their way once these arrive.
I will e-mail anyone already on the list then make a public post when they hit my website.

Tony

I think it 'may' cause more wear - but not sure at all.

8 bucks? Nice, I have been outsniped in the low twenties. Also, not sure I want to spend $100 yet - I might, just not sure at this point. If $30 barber hone feels OK, no need to spend more, really. If it doesn't - then I'll reconsider...

Thanks
Ivo

Yeah, 8 bucks I guess was a steal.

Try typing just "razor hone" or "whetstone" in the ebay search bar, instead of anything specific about a swaty or a coticule or whatever. You'd be surprised how sometimes sellers have no idea what they're selling; they've just opened grandpa's trunk and are listing things as best they can. I once saw an Escher in what looked like mint condition with rubbing stone and a lovely old box go for less than $50. You could see from the pictures what it was but the word 'escher' was nowhere in the listing. I was a brand-new newbie and didn't bid, not having any idea what an escher was $40-50 seemed like plenty for a hone. I was only watching that auction because I thought the slipcase with the barber illustrations looked cool.

Originally Posted by dylandog

My theory is that the Yugoslav spelling – "Franç Swaty" instead of "Franz Swaty" – makes ebay-buyers think it's a knockoff or something.

The "ç" letter does not exist in both Cyrillic or Latin Yugoslavian alphabet. It is a Turkish letter. The correct YU spelling would be "Franc Swaty" ...

Nenad

Thanks Nenand. This one's definitely from Maribor not Turkey. The typo was mine, not Franc's. I hit the option key while typing 'c'...

Originally Posted by izlat

Not that I want a Swaty in particular, just something good that won't require soaking for a few strokes... I have a Lithide and on a couple of razors it works great... not so well on many others, though

I keep a Swaty near where I shave. That way I can touch up a razor if I have to during a shave.

I refresh a razor with a Swaty (just a few quick swipes) whenever stropping doesn't restore sharpness. Doing that I can avoid real shoning indefinitely. I have a theory, but I can't prove it, that doing it my way or doing real honing occasionally are equivalent. You remove the same material, but one way it's in little bites and the other way it's in big ones. My way, I always have an optimally sharp edge and don't need to tolerate a compromised shave.

I haven't been doing this as long as Joe, but his regular refreshing idea seems to work well.

Ever since I started doing regular refreshes I haven't taken a razor back to the hone except under exceptional circumstances (nicked a blade, experimenting with a new hone, etc). I've done refreshes with barber hones and paddles, the razors just keep going. I have recently made some hard wooden paddles to ensure that the edge isn't getting gradually rounded by the paddles since leather is slightly compressible, but it's too early to tell if those will perform better than the old leather-covered paddle.

Originally Posted by mparker762

I have recently made some hard wooden paddles to ensure that the edge isn't getting gradually rounded by the paddles since leather is slightly compressible, but it's too early to tell if those will perform better than the old leather-covered paddle.

I've been wondering about exactly that. If I remember correctly, Joe talked about this in an old thread, and checked his razors for rounding under a microscope, but I don't remember the results...

Are your wooden paddles balsa, mparker? Or something harder? Can you use almost any wood as long as its flat and sanded?