Thread: wonder

Is anyone here familiar with Wonder Hones? I picked one up for $20 to begin learning/practicing how to hone and was wondering if this is a 1) good deal and 2) decent hone...Any ideas?

Never heard of them. What's the grit/intended use of that hone?

Here's the link
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWN:IT&ih=014

I had intended on using it merely to practice on an old ebay razor I picked up. To get technique down...

Before you get TOO excited, let someone with more experience with barber hones chime in, but it's quite possible that you snagged a re-branded Swaty or a similar fine finishing hone. If that's the case, I wouldn't use this one for practice. It would take 5-10 strokes after getting the razor shave-ready on 4/8k.

Looks similar to a Cushion or Wester Bros. hone in both size and coloration. Both of them are considered medium grit hones.

It may be fine for a quick refresh of and edge, but you may not be able to get a really clean, polished edge with just that hone. Maybe a pasted strop used after this hone would make a good combination. However, I'll defer to the more seasoned barber-honemeisters to give you a better sense of the hone's capabilities.

So, would my best bet be to just suck it up and get a Norton 4/8k?

I wouldn't say that you have to abandon this hone for a Norton. Wait a few days to see what other advise/info is offered up by some more members. I think you'll get a much better idea of what to expect from the Wonder.

Why not clean it up and give it a try? What have you got to lose?

radio,

This hone looks similar to my first hone. It turned out to be a medium-grit hone, and I haven't yet been able to get it to work for me. I still try it out periodically, and some day...

It probably would take you 50 years to get an eBay razor shave-sharp with that hone. These hones seem to have been used for refreshing an already sharp edge.

On the other hand, I don't think you'll hurt the razor or the hone by trying, so go for it if you want to.

The only problem with this is that you won't see much progress, and thus you won't get much feedback as to whether you're practicing good technique. At least not for about 49 years... You might gain some confidence in the honing motions, though.

Josh

I'd agree with the above posters. It looks like a long Swaty hone. The downside is that for a full blown honing of a dull razor you will need more hones. The upside is that once you get a sharp razor this might be all you need to keep it that way. I use my Swaty for periodic refreshes (ten strokes or less) when the razor starts to pull. In three months of using the same razor I have yet to need to go to a coarser stone and my razor feels as sharp as the day Joe sent it to me and I've only refreshed it once.