Hello Fellow Wet Shavers!!!!

I’m back after taking some time off!!  A short video and article for your Tuesday!!

Barber hones were made by dozens of manufactures and sold with the intent to keep straight razors sharp. A simple eBay search will tell you that these stones are far from extinct and very abundant in the secondary market.

Most barber stones are tiny, usually no more than 2 inches wide by 4 inches in length.  These stones are extremely hard and have two distinctive sides “coarse” for dulling razors and “fine” for maintaining a sharp edge. There’s no special technique when using a “good ole’ barber’s hone”. 25-30 strokes will usually keep you shaving.  Many barbers were known to use actual shaving “lather” as a lubricant but straight water seems to work well too.

Barber hones soon fell out of fashion in the mid-20^th century when straight razors almost became obsolete.  As of today no company has resurrected the idea of making a classic barber hone but that’s not to say we won’t see one in the future. These hones can maintain your razor for months, but it’s important to know that they are not able to set a bevel.