I have seen a glass hone for sale which dates from the 1930s and I understand it is designed to hone straight razor blades.
Has anyone ever used on and how effective are they?
Has anyone ever used on and how effective are they?
Glass Hones
- Thread starter herbnerd
- Start date
I'm going to make myself sound really really really stupid by admitting this, but maybe you all can gain something from my story.
Short answer: yes. And amazingly it works.
Long answer: Well, I got a Shapton ceramic on glass 16k. Stupidly I figured the business end was the glass end, didn't really put much thought into it and I lapped the glass side. I then proceeded to finish some razors on it. At the time I thought the hone was great. Now I realize it was a freaking miracle that actually worked!!!! Gave a pretty damn good edge. I'm not sure exactly what the **** it did, but...it works...
Disclaimer: It could all have been in my head.
Short answer: yes. And amazingly it works.
Long answer: Well, I got a Shapton ceramic on glass 16k. Stupidly I figured the business end was the glass end, didn't really put much thought into it and I lapped the glass side. I then proceeded to finish some razors on it. At the time I thought the hone was great. Now I realize it was a freaking miracle that actually worked!!!! Gave a pretty damn good edge. I'm not sure exactly what the **** it did, but...it works...
Disclaimer: It could all have been in my head.
The Razor Pimp's discovery aside, if the 1930s hone has a concave surface, it was designed to hone DE blades.
Although, now that I think about it, I read of people honing razors on the frosted edge of an automobile window.
Although, now that I think about it, I read of people honing razors on the frosted edge of an automobile window.
- Thread starter
- #4
View attachment 62399
This is the beast I found.
Is it really for honing DE blades and not cut-throats?
This is the beast I found.
Is it really for honing DE blades and not cut-throats?
Yes, that is for honing DE blades. I believe that is a Lillicraps hone, or at least a clone of one. I think they acted more like strops than hones though. They were useful for keeping those old carbon steel DE blades going, especially given the economic conditions during the depression, and the steel rationing during the war. They are counterproductive on modern blades though, since they scrape away the teflon and platinum coatings.
Although the half-pipe shaped glass hones were designed for DE blades, I think I've come across a Glass Hone that was designed for Straight Razors http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,10325.0.html unfortunately this one isn't mine, but I'm not giving up hope.
Regards,
Stew
Regards,
Stew
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That does look like a razor hone. IIRC the frosted glass hones were used with graphite.
Yes, sir, that's a DE hone. They're kind of a technological dead-end, if you will, sort of like Auto Strop and Rolls Razors. Who knew that you couldn't make much money from self-sharpening safety razors and the like? Still with all that said, I want one.
yeah theyre awful, i especially wouldnt buy from ebay, or even bid because the overly strong uranium makes your testicles fall off 
yeah theyre awful, i especially wouldnt buy from ebay, or even bid because the overly strong uranium makes your testicles fall off
Only if you buy the green ones, i.e. Vaseline glass.
yeah theyre awful, i especially wouldnt buy from ebay, or even bid because the overly strong uranium makes your testicles fall off
Oh for cripe sakes, they don't put that much uranium in the glass...
Oh for cripe sakes, they don't put that much uranium in the glass...
ha i know, just a vague attempt to keep the price down
I have heard of corking and using a glass to rid DE blades of inperfections. Could this also be a use for this hone?
Richard
Richard
Yep, I used to hone el cheapo DE blades I picked up at my local market using a clear glass hone in the shape herbnerd shared in post 4. Before getting the hone, I used a short drinking glass.
