How often should I lap a hone?

[Luc]

I'm unsure if this is silly but if I need to lap a stone when I buy one, I'm assuming that I must re-lap the stone later...

So, I got this barber hone, I maintained the edge on my straight and it works well. I'm wondering if there's some kind of rule or average or opinion on lapping the stone as I use it? Do I need to re-lap after each razor, 10, 20, etc?

Any advice appreciated.

[mdunn]

it depends on the hone - barbers hones are pretty hard, I think. So perhaps every 20 or so touchups

[holli4pirating]

I doubt you'll ever need to re-lap a barber hone. Well, maybe after a several years. I have seen non-flat barber hones, but I don't think I've ever seen a dished one.

[Chimensch]

I used a Swaty "three-line" every day for 29 years and never lapped it. Forget about it!

[mparker762]

I'm unsure if this is silly but if I need to lap a stone when I buy one, I'm assuming that I must re-lap the stone later..


It varies widely by hone. Many barber hones are hard enough that you may never need to lap it again, some are soft enough to need lapping every few years. The main reason you should lap it when you first get it is because you don't know what sort of condition it's really in. It could have been used to hone pocketknives or fish hooks at some point. And sometimes even NOS hones need lapping, because the binder has shrunk or warped a bit over the decades in storage. Barber hones aren't necessarily clay-based, some of them are abrasive held in some sort of hard glue. This glue can chemically degrade over the years, or can slowly warp. I've seen a couple of Swaty's that were no longer suited for honing razors because the binder had decayed too much, and the abrasive would come loose and the stone would pit under normal use.

[Luc]

I guess the best way to see if I need to lap it would be to lap it again. If my lines disappear right away, it's fine, if not, it needs to be lapped here and there!

Thanks for the replies Gents!

[oldshaver.org]

It seems to me that hone lapping boils down to whether or not the hone is FLAT. To determine this, draw pencil grids on the hone and do several laps with the lapping stone. When the pencil grids disappear, the hone is flat. End of problem.

[huntmol]

I've heard for normal users (not honemeisters) who just touch up a blade every so often, that hones can go for years without needing to be lapped again.

[holli4pirating]

I've heard for normal users (not honemeisters) who just touch up a blade every so often, that hones can go for years without needing to be lapped again.

Depends on what the hone is. They are all different.

[Will P.C.]

I have a Swaty 3 Line that looks new. I doubt it will ever need to be lapped in my lifetime.

Luc, what brand is your barber hone

[holli4pirating]

Right on, Will. That thing will never need a lapping.

[Luc]

I have a Swaty 3 Line that looks new. I doubt it will ever need to be lapped in my lifetime.

Luc, what brand is your barber hone

It's one of those with 'Barber Hone' written on it and that's all I've got...

I lapped it already when I got it, I just want to be sure that I won't damage my edges with it in case it needs to be re-lapped...

I will lap it again and see if I loose my pencil lines right away or not...