question about a hone i am going to be recieving.

[gangaskan]

this hone i bought is made out of electronite and i was wondering if it is rough, or light, or in the middle? this is my first one purchasing


a rather old one, should i make sure the surface is flat before i use it? i have norton 8/4k and 200/1k stones and a flattening stone so i can flatten it if i need too.

 

[Brooksie967]

Do you have a picture/link to a picture you can post?

 

[gangaskan]

Do you have a picture/link to a picture you can post?

sure do


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Str...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

 

[Brooksie967]

Not sure about your barber hone but lots of them use aluminum oxide as an abrasive. Typically barbers hones range from 4kish to 12k and up. You're gunna have to test it

 

[gangaskan]

thanks brooksie it kinda struck me as i was looking at the pictures, it looks a little "grainy" on the top. thats why i asked. gonna have to feel it out!

 

[Brooksie967]

I've kept two barbers hones and honestly, they sit in my drawer, but for someone that is a minimalist, they're great to have and kind of neat! When you get it, lap it and shave with a razor you've honed on it and let us know!

 

[gangaskan]

yeah, i have like i said the norton waterstone set, so it was more for the price and to see how well it does vs the 8k stone

 

[global_dev]

I've read that electronite abrasive may be a finer one than 8k

 

[Brooksie967]

I've read that electronite abrasive may be a finer one than 8k

Further research has led me to a thread where these hones were tested to about a 15k rating. There are a few comments in the thread about 2 different models with this so called 'electronite' abrasive. Check it out, it's a pretty cool read from someone very reputable.

http://www.razorandstone.com/showthread.php?2131-GEM-Cushioned-Hone-Strop-test

The main part of the read is this: Two identical King Midas Extra Good razors were chosen to test this “razor” hone. Both razors were taken to a 1K-3K-8K coticule level. One of the razors was then progressed to the approx. 15K level on a much finer stone. The edges were visually inspected at 100X magnification at each interval.

8 X-laps, strokes or passes were made with each razor on the GEM hone-strop with soap lather to see if it would improve the razor taken to the 8K coti edge and the razor honed to the approx. 15K coti edge.

Conclusion: Due to the high quality of the GEM hone-strop “high temper” American steel razors were tested. The 8K razors edge was significantly improved off the GEM. The approx. 15K edge was maintained. This is a fast cutting, effective synthetic hone that leaves uniform “fine” abrasion patterns. It will easily refresh an edge to the 12 to 15K level without deforming or degrading the edge after 8 to 16 passes. Stropping on leather only would be adequate to prep the edge for shaving.

In addition, both razors were dulled back down to the 3K level and progressed back up to the 8K and approx.15 K levels. Both razors then made 8 passes on the 00 Frictionite hone (pictured) and visually inspected. Both razors then made 8 passes on the GEM hone-strop and were inspected. More refined, smoother abrasion patterns were observed after the GEM hone-strop and a keen precise edge had been imparted to both blades similar to earlier Lakeside and Witte barber hone tests. The GEM hone-strop refined the edges off the 00 Frictionite.

 

[BakerAndBadger]

Ok, not trying to start an argument and sorry for going off topic but a 15k coti edge?????? Come on, firstly it's a nat and then the general consensus (iirc) is about 8k so how did this chappy get 15k? I'm lost - time to throw away the thuri, I've realised I've got a basement full of 15k stones!

 

[Brooksie967]

Ok, not trying to start an argument and sorry for going off topic but a 15k coti edge?????? Come on, firstly it's a nat and then the general consensus (iirc) is about 8k so how did this chappy get 15k? I'm lost - time to throw away the thuri, I've realised I've got a basement full of 15k stones!

These are someone elses words, not mine, and you'd be way off of a grit rating of 8k anyways, that's in another thread. http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...ally-need-a-12k-whetstone-for-SR-honing/page3 check post #50.

Gunna try and avoid getting into an argument so Anyhow, that's not important to this thread really, at the end of the day, the guy who tested it seems to know his stuff and deals with LOTS of stones, and if he says it improves a frictioninte edge, i'd trust him.

Hopefully the OP has a nice little tool on his hands!

 

[AjaxLepinski]

View attachment 344064

 

[rickboone1]

Seems being the operative word here. Many seem.
About the most you could gather from all this is it appears to be a finisher of sorts. Maybe? So, lap it. Try it. Shave.

 

[SliceOfLife]

A 15k estimation for coticule under scope is completely ridiculous. Now you may consider coticule to shave around 15k level, that's hard to argue for or against, but coticule looks NOTHING like a 16k (or 12k for that matter, or 10k) synth under a scope, and if I'm reading this right, that's what their test was.

Don't get me wrong, that gem looks like a fine little barber's hone, and may well improve on a fric 00, but I'd be very surprised if it's grit was anywhere near a good 16k grit hone like a shapton (since I'm unaware of any 15k's), and their method of getting that number seems highly flawed.

 

[gangaskan]

Seems being the operative word here. Many seem.
About the most you could gather from all this is it appears to be a finisher of sorts. Maybe? So, lap it. Try it. Shave.

pretty much what i was thinking i'm hoping it will be here today, as it is fairly close to me, not enough to warrant a drive out however.


USPS shipping, so getting a estimate is rather moot, i hate their tracking :/ far less superior than UPS or fedex

 

[Brooksie967]

Rick, at the end of the day that is all I was really getting at by sharing the review; it is most likely a decent finisher. Put all the precise "technical" talk of the reviewers comments aside and read between the lines, it makes stuff sharper than some other stuff. Good luck and let us know

 

[Gamma]

Lapping a barber hone can be a miserable task. Most don't need to be lapped for flatness but maybe to clear the top surface if it's cruddy.
Hard to judge that stone in the pix - in-hand it may look differently and might be finer than it looks.
If it's a good one - that's a cool find. If it's a generic B-hone, it's still a nice score I think.

 

[SliceOfLife]

God don't remind me, You have a fric 00 right gamma? Did it need much lapping? I had one once that was at least a mm dished. I spent more time lapping that beast than any other ten stones COMBINED. It was like some kind of horrible lapping nightmare.

 

[Gamma]

Yep- I have a 00, and lapping it was not fun. Not fun at all.
A truly miserable experience and it really didn't need a whole lot of material removed.

 

[drmatt357]

View attachment 344064

This one CRACKS ME UP everytime! LMAO