Thread: barber's hone vs 8k etc

Hey, this may be an obvious question, but is a barber's hone just an 8k grit hone?
If so, then I see the advantage to buying a 4k/8k combo hone.

Any ideas what the grit on this is? It's a two-sided razor hone, but I have no idea what the grits are. I assume maybe 4k/8k?

Barber hones vary in grits and yes there are 4k and 8k equivalents. However, modern waterstones like Norton and Shapton have clearly marked grits, are faster cutters (larger surface area and more effective abrasive) and are just more comfortable for initial sharpening of razors. For quick touchups, barber hones are easy and handy. However, paddle strops/bench hones are just as easy/handy and are even higher in grit

Thanks,
So let's see... 75 years ago, barbers had their 'barber hones' which didn't have grit # equivalents, but were used to touch up their razor edges. Now we have standardized stones with 4K/8K grits to use, and we also have 1um/0.5um/0.25um diamond pastes etc to use on bench strops. So this is basically a change in technology, and a more well defined system for what is being used.

Barber hone stones come in varying grit, which no-one will ever really know, and are used to touch up blades, but it's only one way to skin a cat, and there are easier/faster/more-accurate ways to get the job done now.

Is that about right?

Well partially. Barbers still knew the relative grits of various stones, like which ones were coarse, medium or fine, their speeds of cutting and whatnot. We could even determine their grits with a fair degree of accuracy. You are correct about there being various ways of getting the job done. You could even get the blade "almost there" with a pasted leather belt on a belt sander if you know how and have he touch.
I think it's kind of ironic that new technology is helping us get back to the basics, but at least it's not influencing the substance of the art.

I have a pasted strop (3, 1, 0.5, 0.25) and a set of barber hones (little devil, cushion strop, GEM, amalgamite and lithide - from coarsest to finest).

I use both and different razors do differently with each - my TI loves the pastes, my Fridour seems to like the hones - but that's just a preliminary view as I haven't been at this long enought to make any conclusions. I do know that the finishing hones work best for me if I use a very slow stroke with very light pressure.

I have brought razors to shaving sharp using nothing but the barber's hones - it takes more time than the Norton and you need to be more careful to avoid creating a frown/creating an even bevel.

For touching up razors, I really like the amalgamite and lithide hone - especially if you want to do a touch up in 5 - 10 laps vs 20 on a pasted strop. I also find that the edge lasts a little longer if I use a hone, rather than a pasted strop.

I like the barber's hones because they're small and easy to use for touchups, they're also cheap and old-school.

As with everything else, YMMV and experiment with a practice razor before you use them on your favourite limited edition/vintage razor!

How did you lap your Lithide? I'm having some issues with getting mine nice and even on the 1k.

If you can find an old Barber Hone still in the original box, many actually have instructions that indicate only 5-6 strokes max are what's needed to refresh your razors. In the old days, barbers also sent their razors out for full honings when the refreshing wasn't enough for a great shave. This was an era when either sharpeners pushed carts around or had small shops utilizing belts and wheels.

Alot of our members have used the Barber Hones to hone up razors even in poor shape and have done much experimentation with them. Most, particularly the ceramic versions tend to be slow cutters and alot of strokes are utilized when doing a full honing.

I still believe that the Norton 4K/8K is the most consistent stone for a new person to learn on, but there are many alternatives out there and probably many more on the way.

Lynn

Lynn, what about Shaptons? I've heard that they cut as fast or faster and make an even finer edge. Have you played with those babies?

Originally Posted by FiReSTaRT

How did you lap your Lithide? I'm having some issues with getting mine nice and even on the 1k.

I used a fine DMT diamond stone (rated at about 600, but is similar to a 1k stone in practice - very quick cutting) for the final lapping.

I used the little devil hone (very coarse - likely around 400 - 500'ish?) first and then the DMT - the surface isn't quite as smooth as the initial finish (certainly isn't glossy), but I think it will smooth with use and, if it doesn't, I may try lapping with a higher grit paper.

So, to answer your question, I would go to a coarser grit to establish a flat surface and then use 1k to get a nicer surface finish.

Originally Posted by adjustme69

I still believe that the Norton 4K/8K is the most consistent stone for a new person to learn on, but there are many alternatives out there and probably many more on the way.

Lynn

I completely agree with Lynn on this point - the 4k/8k is much easier to learn on and control. You also don't have to worry about inadvertently creating a "frown" as the 4k/8k is wide enough for the razor to be in contact with the stone for the full stroke.

Also, the barber hones require more trial and error/experimentation to figure out how they work on different razors and in conjunction with one another.

I also agree that the barber hones are best used for quick touch ups and that very few laps with light pressure is all it takes.

If you're really interested, you can buy a great starter set of NOS hones from Tilly (aka redtrader) for about $35. Just be sure to lap them flat before using them on razors.

I also like them because they can be used dry - I've taken NOS razors to HHT-passing sharpness on my hones in less than 15 minutes. However, if I need to do anything major, its off to the 4k/8k.

Thanks. I got used to lapping the much softer Norton, so this one came as a bit of a shocker on my poor 1k lol.