Barbers' Hones - Any Fans

[Suzuki]

Despite the fact that modern stones/pased strops are more consistent, I still have a soft spot for vintage barbers' hones.

I'm not an expert and with only 7 hones, my collection is quite modest, but I still really enjoy using them.

I have several that I got from the e-bay vendor "Tilley" and a few others I picked up here and there.

My coarsest hone is a "little devil" that i use for truing other hones and setting a bevel on new razors and I then go to my medium/medium-fine hones (GEM, Cushion Strop, Amalgamite) and on to one of my finishing hones (Lithide, American, Apart).

While I don't have a Swaty, the Apart hone is clearly a clone, as it is made in the same region of Austria and seems to have the same characteristics. The Apart is my favourite - I got it for around $10 on e-bay in excellent condition and it puts a great final polish on the edges of my razors.

In addition to the fact that they're old-school, I like the barbers' hones because they're cheap and convenient - they can be used dry, wet, with lather and they don't need to be soaked. Also, they're handy in the sense that you can keep one in the bathroom for a quick touch up.

I know there have been various discussions here and there on barbers' hones, but I thought it would be nice to have a new thread devoted to the subject in the new "hones" section.

 

[Thebigspendur]

I have a few I also got from Tilly but to tell you the truth I don't use any of them. I have an arsenal of hones and I much prefer the larger size of the hones and find them easier to work with. I also think with hones you have more flexability as far as the proper hone for the proper job. Most barber's hones are really finishing hones. I know some are more coarse but even they are limited and I don't think I would want to do a major honing job on a small babers stone.

 

[EL Alamein]

Make sure you buy one of those $10.00 handheld microscopes from Radio Shack and examine the edge after using a barber hone. Examine at the highest magnification: 100X. Many, many times a barber hone will leave microchips. I prefer a Belgian or Thuringen hone as they leave a smooth straight clean edge. Just my 2 cents.

Chris

 

[mparker762]

I've found that a key to getting good clean edges with barber hones is to lap them against each other until they shine like marble. Then give them a good scrubbing with lather to get rid of some of the glazing, and you're good to go.

This doesn't seem to work well on the swaty though, so I mostly use mine for lapping my other barber hones.

 

[AFDavis11]

I'm a big fan! For the sink side or travel I love them. I think they really helped me to learn how to hone too. I don't recommend them often as they seem a little more difficult to acquire one really good one. If you buy 3 you'll like one, love one, and hate one.

 

[joel]

I am hot and cold on 'em. They can be fun to use/try... but well.... once the "New Toy" stages wears out for me, I don't really touch them again. There's really only one barber hone I REALLY like - and that's the Carborundum, as it leaves an incredibly buttery smooth edge... at least for me, it may even be nicer than a coticule or a escher.

Overall - I use my non-barber hones more often, as they are larger and overall tend to work better.

Great chat on hones fellas!

 

[Suzuki]

I've found that a key to getting good clean edges with barber hones is to lap them against each other until they shine like marble. Then give them a good scrubbing with lather to get rid of some of the glazing, and you're good to go.

This doesn't seem to work well on the swaty though, so I mostly use mine for lapping my other barber hones.

I agree about the lapping coment - I've had several NOS hones that were quite out of true and would have been useless without proper lapping.

I've found that the higher grit hones need to be progressively lapped with finer grits to get them smooth enough - anyone have any tricks in this regard?

I know that this is a real problem with the lithide hones that several people have.

I'm a big fan! For the sink side or travel I love them. I think they really helped me to learn how to hone too. I don't recommend them often as they seem a little more difficult to acquire one really good one. If you buy 3 you'll like one, love one, and hate one.

The one of three will be a keeper rule is a good one - I've been very lucky so far. It can be very addictive - I'm keeping my eye out for the DD combo hone that's supposed to be very good.

There's also a lot of confusion because several manufacturers seem to have made hones, many making them with different grits, but didn't leave much information around (or at least that I'm aware of) about the differences between their own hones and there's even less about differences between brands.

A couple more questions for the barbers' hone afficionados among us:

What's your favourite barber's hone and why do you like it?

(Mine's the above-mentioned Austrian Apart hone that puts a really nice edge on most of my razors).

What tips can you offer for folks who want to try out barbers' hones - both in terms of what to look for and technique.

 

[mparker762]

What's your favourite barber's hone and why do you like it?

DD combo hone. The coarse side isn't terribly fast, but it works fine for a razor that isn't too dull. The fine side puts a nice comfortable edge on many of my razors. I also like that it's relatively wide compared to most barber hones.

 

[joel]

I really like my skute hone. It's the weirdest hone I've ever used/experienced and is tremendously soft and light.

 

[Limey]

I have a couple barber hones. One is a Shumate and the other is a Swaty. I am still playing around with both trying to figure out how to get the best use of them. I like the small hones in that they force me to be very clean with my X pattern.

 

[Suzuki]

I have a couple barber hones. One is a Shumate and the other is a Swaty. I am still playing around with both trying to figure out how to get the best use of them. I like the small hones in that they force me to be very clean with my X pattern.

I agree - you need to pay attention to your X to make sure that all parts of the blade get equal time on the hone.

I also periodically do a few extra strokes focussing on the heel and tip only to prevent any risk of forming a "frown" in my razor.

 

[gglockner]

Unlike most transplants from the SRP site, I started out using barber hones. I have a Norton 4K/8K but just don't care that much for it. I to received my early collection of hones from Tilly. Three years ago she had a great selection and some of the finest barber hones ever made were available from her. My favorite still is a double grit Wester Bros, it can do it all. Also for those that need a finer finish the Honemaster and the Itsapeech will put a great edge on a razor. I do agree it can be a bit hit and miss with these old hones, but when you do get a good one you will cherish it. I for one think that the X pattern when honing and stropping is more beneficial than a wide strop or hone. Just whatever way you get it keen seems to be the best way to do it.
Practice,practice,practice...

Glen

 

[Hawkeye5]

I have but one barber hone, my grandfather's Swaty. For years I didn't really know what it was, but I held on to it just because of who it had belonged to. Glad I did. I use it frequently now.

 

[izlat]

Not a BIG fan here (I prefer naturals) but sometimes they are fun to use, less messy, and at times worked better on certain razors than my naturals.

Cheers
Ivo

 

[Steerpike]

Absolutely love them, and won't use anything else any more. Easy to use- just slap on a bit of lather and give it 6 laps is usually enough to refresh a razor. The edge is fantastic, and using lather makes it really user friendly- the mild suction on the last couple of strokes allows negligible pressure while the razor stays flat on the hone. The size is perfect- it lies on your hand, so you get plenty of feedback as you use it, and the small width and length encourages quite a steep "X" which I find produces the best edge. And they don't cost a bomb. Keeps it all nice and simple.