Having used carbon DEs for several months now, I'm always on the lookout for more b/c they're so cheap. Haven't seen any more lately but I did find an old McKee milk glass hone, mint in box. My Twinplex stropper improves carbons when they're in good shape but tonight I tried out the hone, then the stropper, out on a Pal DE blade from the '50s that I'd used and stropped a few times before, then dunked in 99% alcohol to keep the rust off (so far that's worked great). The Twinplex alone improved the blade over the first time I used it right out of the pack w/o stropping, but it still wasn't perfectly smooth. Acceptable and bearable, but noticeably rougher than modern SS. Result of tonight's honing followed by stropping: the already decent blade was super smooth. Period. The last time I used the blade (stropped only) was in an Aristocrat...as I say, it was acceptable. Tonight I used it in my good ol' Super Adjustable. I normally go on 5 but after the honing it was too much...too sharp of a bite. I had to back it off to 3. Ended up with a multi-pass shave, wonderfully comfy and smooth, and not one nick. And get this: the shave cream I used? The new Barbasol mentholated can o'goo. All of it added up to a great shave. The trick of the hone is to follow the directions on the box - use LIGHT pressure like they say to, so the curved hone catches the actual cutting edges of the blade. If you press too hard while sliding it back and forth you'll flatten the blade too much and not touch the edges at all. If you use old carbons and come across a glass hone for cheap, you won't go wrong snagging it. Mine cost me $10 but, being mint and really improving an old carbon most wet shavers wouldn't even consider using, it's well worth it.
Cool! I have somewhere around 650 PAL Gold Blades that need some help. Perhaps this is the direction I need to go...
I know nothing about them other than they shave okay. http://www.ebay.com/itm/110710543649#ht_2320wt_1049
That's a dang good buy, man...a lifetime supply right there. You'll be surprised what a honing and stropping will do for them.
Cool! Now to find the honing and stropping tools! If you want a few of them send me your addy and I will drop them in the mail to you.
PM with counteroffer sent. Let me know if you don't see it (PM function on new format is not entirely clear...)
You can do this with a drinking glass or a shot glass too. Nothing special about the glass in those "glass hones".. it's the same thing. So try it with a glass or shot glass before spending the money on an actual "glass hone".
I've now tried both and, with all respect, they not the same thing. Unless you already happen to own the exact right juice or shot glass, you'll have to spend time hunting one down. The hone is better because the angle is just right to catch the edges with only light pressure, which doesn't waste effort. A glass will likely be too big or small, defeating the purpose because it doesn't catch the angle of the cutting edges right and you have to press it too hard to keep it inside and moving so that, again, the cutting edges don't actually meet the glass, which is the point. Most water glasses and shot glasses are not the required exact cylindrical shape but tapered; tapered won't work, throws off the angles. They weren't designed for blades; the hone was. The hone is shallow - that is, barely wider than the blade - so they're easier to keep ahold of, unlike a drinking glass. The hone has a built-in stop along the back edge to keep the blade square when sliding it; a water glass only has its bottom to keep the blade square so you can't use a glass more than a few inches deep. Using the hone can be done completely with one hand (they say hold it in the other hand, but I kept it on the sink). A glass can't be done one-handed. Now if you can find a drinking or shot glass that exactly matches those specs, it'll work fine. Apart from that, an actual blade hone is better. I suspect that's why the hones were made in the first place; the only drinking glass I ever found that worked was an antique juice glass 4" tall that, while it worked, demanded careful attention. The hone's a piece of cake. Only trick is finding one cheap and undamaged, but it can be done.
I don't know anything about them. If you want to try one send me your address and I will mail it to you. Italy right?
I just saw a black glass hone in an antique store this weekend for $5 I think it was. I think it even had the box and instructions.
I just bought a black one with two coarsenesses, I guess you'd say...one half is the hone side (visibly coarse) and the other is smooth glass (strop side). I used it on two mint examples of the WORST carbons I've ever had: the Don Juan and an old Rexall made for them by who knows who. Also rehoned/restropped the Pal I'd been using. Took turns putting all three in my super adjustable with 2 days growth. Result: BBS from all three blades. PERFECT shaves. Now 24 hours later with no need to shave tonight. If the hone you saw is a hone/strop combo, don't pass it up for that price!!! It will redeem ANY carbon blade that isn't corroded and - who knows - might slightly improve some lower grade stainless ones, too.
I can't post the links because they are all live auctions. But if you hit Ebay and search "glass razor hone" there are three of them up now. Basically, you lay the blade in the tray and rub it back and forth on the glass. There were some earlier posts in this thread about using a drinking glass, so you could demonstrate the process to yourself at home. Whether or not it works in a glass is up for debate as there are multiple opinions about it.
I wouldn't have thought smooth glass could do anything to a steel edge, but it apparently is abrasive enough to improve the edge. That's the idea behind these hones.
