Gift from my new barber

[Wid]

A couple weeks ago while on a motor bike ride I came across this old barber about 50 miles from me. Figured while I'm out might as well get my hair did. Come to find out he uses a regular straight on his customers, a first for me. Hell he didn't even disinfect it between customers, don't freak out now LOL. Watching him strop the razor was a joy, he looked like he had done it all his life.

We got to talking about straights and he said he had an old hone but couldn't find it that day. This morning I figured it was time for another touch up (3 weeks later) so I headed down to see him again. When I got there he says "I got something for ya" and proceeded to give me this old barbers hone. It's in pretty good shape and I thought it was pretty cool he remembered me and gifted the hone to me.

It's a H.S.B. and co. Our Very Best hone.

 

[hig789]

Nice Rick. I found one on our way to St Louis a few weeks back just like it, and it also happened to be in Illinois too. Yours is in much better shape than the one I found. Wish I cold find an old barber here.

 

[dakotaev]

Nice looking hone, let us know how it performs.

 

[Rschan]

Very nice Rick

 

[Slash McCoy]

That is one of the nicer barber hones I have seen. Very good condition.

 

[TonyN]

Very nice Rick!

 

[Gamma]

Very cool - its nice to have something that's got a good story tied to it like that.

 

[blademen]

Very nice, I believe this is your second gift from a old time Barber.

 

[Swarovskilainen]

Its a beauty, how long is it?

 

[Wid]

Very nice, I believe this is your second gift from a old time Barber.

It is.

 

[xMackx]

Reminds me of the old Norton barber hones that have insane prices now, you have to let us know if it preforms like one!

 

[Seraphim]

Hell he didn't even disinfect it between customers, don't freak out now LOL. Watching him strop the razor was a joy, he looked like he had done it all his life.

Henry Hepatitis' Hair Salon?

 

[Wid]

No worries, he stropped the bugs off LOL.

 

[prsman23]

Hm, where was this in Illinois? I'm down by st. louis.

 

[Wid]

It is in Gilman.

 

[sandhillmac]

Not to de-rail this thread and it may be in another place, but what grit are most of these old barber hones? I have a couple. Any way to tell grit and how do you use them? dry? or h2o?orr what?

 

[Slash McCoy]

Not to de-rail this thread and it may be in another place, but what grit are most of these old barber hones? I have a couple. Any way to tell grit and how do you use them? dry? or h2o?orr what?

Use it dry... use it wet. It's all good. Most folks hone wet and finish with lather, though. Grit? Probably around 6k but don't let that bother you. With lather you get a much better than 6k edge. A LOT of shavers used to shave off these hones without feeling deprived of a good edge, and you can, too.

 

[nrv216]

That is really nice. If I ever drive by Gilman I will be sure to give an upstanding guy like that my business.

nrv216

 

[Greybeard]

H.S.B. & Co.
Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett & Co., a large hardware chain centered in Chicago.
Our Very Best was one of their trademarks.
Started business in 1855. The company name changed in 1962 to True Value Hardware.
Their barber hones were made by The American Hone Co. OVB's are one of the better barber's hones.

 

[Wid]

Thanks Peter.