Barbers Hone

**Nizzyrate** · 02-09-2012, 03:19 PM

I was recently given a barbers hone but thats all I or the guy that gave it to me knows about it. My question is are barbers hones all the same grit? It seems that most of the time people will note the abrasiveness of the stone in discussion (i.e. 8K stone or a whatever 12K) but I've only seen people describe barbers hones without a grit number.

Secondly, I would like to begin to hone my own blades but it seems like most people who do have an entire arsenal of stones of increasingly fine grits with which to do this. I don't plan on restoring rusty,dull razors anytime soon can I maintain the keenness of my edges with this barbers hone by itself?

**Wid** · 02-09-2012, 03:26 PM

You could maintain an edge with the barbers hone but I wouldn't plan on honing an edge with it.

**superbleu** · 02-09-2012, 03:30 PM

Barbers hones are for maintaining an already honed razor.
For your original question, I think the general consensus is that a barber's hone is near 9-10K in grit, and they are very fast so only a few passes is all that is needed.
Anything else and you will need some coarser stones, like a 1k, 4k, 8k and whatever in between you'd like to add.

**hig789** · 02-09-2012, 05:07 PM

I have a few that are pretty coarse but nothing I would want to hone a razor on. My others are very hard and high grit. If you want to hone your own razors get you a coticule and something in the 1k range. I have a king 1k. You can be set for under $100. Vintage coticule can also be found at antique stores for cheap usually.

**Wid** · 02-09-2012, 06:10 PM

Originally Posted by hig789

I have a few that are pretty coarse but nothing I would want to hone a razor on. My others are very hard and high grit. If you want to hone your own razors get you a coticule and something in the 1k range. I have a king 1k. You can be set for under $100. Vintage coticule can also be found at antique stores for cheap on the rare ocassion.

Fixed that for ya

**hig789** · 02-09-2012, 07:15 PM

RARE? Ha. Not around these parts.

There is another one at the same store I found my first one at. It is dished out very bad but the part in the center is probably a 1/4" thick, I might go and get it this coming week. I don't want to take the chance at breaking it while lapping it. It's $25.

**PapaFish** · 02-09-2012, 07:26 PM

How big is it? Lapping stones isn't hard, it just takes time. You could crack it if you were super aggressive, but if you don't want to take the chance, you can buy and sell to me and I will take the chance on lapping it up :).

**hig789** · 02-09-2012, 07:31 PM

I might have to buy it. If you have seen the last three vintage stones that I have found, I am no stranger to lapping. I might have to buy it and take the chance. If it breaks then I can just make two small bouts out of it.

**PapaFish** · 02-09-2012, 07:45 PM

I haven't been following your adventures, but I guess if you have three, you really need four... then a half dozen, then a dozen... bakers dozen? Well, I could easily fit 18 in this box...

**hig789** · 02-09-2012, 08:13 PM

Yeah and I got into hoarding slurry stones too.

**Rschan** · 02-09-2012, 09:56 PM

I think using a Barber hone looks very classical. I really like them but very difficult to buy as the prices are sky rocketing
I haven t seen much talk on the subject here. I wonder why??

**kiwichris** · 02-09-2012, 10:20 PM

Originally Posted by hig789

I might have to buy it. If you have seen the last three vintage stones that I have found, I am no stranger to lapping. I might have to buy it and take the chance. If it breaks then I can just make two small bouts out of it.

If you buy it and don't want it, let me know - I'd love to buy it off you.

**hig789** · 02-10-2012, 04:20 AM

Originally Posted by Rschan

I think using a Barber hone looks very classical. I really like them but very difficult to buy as the prices are sky rocketing
I haven t seen much talk on the subject here. I wonder why??

I don't know why they have been so high either. I have bought some locally for about $5 apiece but you can't get one fro under $15 on eBay. I like to collect them because there are so many different styles but I am not paying eBay prices for them considering I hardly ever use them.

**Tescot** · 05-02-2012, 02:30 PM

Just starting down the SR hole and trying to decide what I need.
Waiting for the poor man's strop kit to arrive (to start me off), then was wondering what I would need after...
Glad I found the posts on the barber's hone... that sounds like the way to go next, then think about a bevel setting->polishing kit.

FYI - my local beauty supply store has barber hones for an affordable price, and I'm pretty sure Sally's does too (for those who live on the mainland).

Mahalo!

**Disburden** · 05-02-2012, 05:31 PM

Barbers hones are awesome. They will keep a razor sharp for years if you use it weekly or so.
Coticules are the cats meow on b&b so youll get a lot of people telling you to get one when you ask about a hone. I love my coticules but all stones are different and some are better than others. Coticules work differently than barbers hones taking 50plus laps on water to touch up an edge, a barbers hone takes three laps with lather.

Barbers hones vary in rarity and quality, some are 8k level and others can be expensive and 20k level like the norton barber hone. Most of them are around 8to10k level.

**tomjr** · 05-02-2012, 06:14 PM

there are the double sided (2 grits) type also that will bring back a duller razor than the single grit type. they vary some 2.

**Legion** · 05-02-2012, 07:08 PM

Originally Posted by Disburden

Barbers hones are awesome. They will keep a razor sharp for years if you use it weekly or so.
Coticules are the cats meow on b&b so youll get a lot of people telling you to get one when you ask about a hone. I love my coticules but all stones are different and some are better than others. Coticules work differently than barbers hones taking 50plus laps on water to touch up an edge, a barbers hone takes three laps with lather.

Barbers hones vary in rarity and quality, some are 8k level and others can be expensive and 20k level like the norton barber hone. Most of them are around 8to10k level.

Coticules are, like, so last week. All the cool kids use lapping film now.

**Disburden** · 05-02-2012, 07:35 PM

I know, damn, I still use my norton....so old timerish.

**bbarton713** · 05-02-2012, 08:54 PM

Originally Posted by legion

Coticules are, like, so last week. All the cool kids use lapping film now.

**gary haywood** · 05-02-2012, 10:04 PM

i tryed my barbers hone and the shave was not as nice as my coticule, guess i've been spoilt with natural edge of a natural stone .. 30 laps on coticule once a week takes all of a couple of minutes. I heard barbers hones can vary from 4k to 6k..

i'd say get a 10k naniwa if you want a gauranteed touch up manmade hone . they work nicely with 10 x strokes ..