I never see anyone mentioning super Punjab stones when discussing honing, so I'm assuming they aren't any good, but I've had one for eons and just wonder if anyone has any knowledge on them, such as typical grit rating, if they are acceptable quality, or really any expert opinions. In my experience, they are too short and don't seem to be very effective. It seems like I don't tend to get much change in an edge after a long period of honing. Any other thoughts?
Barber's hone...no experience with them. Results from an online forum/tester: "The Super Punjab barber hone slightly degraded the 8K edge. It is recommended that only 4 to 6 light passes be done to maintain an 8K edge. The 15K edge was severely degraded and showed signs of a wire edge forming after 8 laps. This is an aggressive hone that will cause chipping and deformation if overused. Stropping on leather or a properly prepared pasted strop will smooth the edge."
Good to know. So I'm a little confused, wouldn't what they described simply mean it is less than 8k? Perhaps closer to 1k? Or am I completely missing something? Oh, and what is a "wire edge"?
I'm guessing the stone is closer to the 2-4k range, but I have no way of verifying this. Wire edge (pictured below in the simple GIF)— wire edges are produced usually when drawing a blade over the stone in a stropping motion, with the spine leading. They are often deliberately produced when sharpening knives, then removed on the steel. Razors are a different story, & they are not a desirable result. You'll get one if you overhone or unevenly hone, & supposedly the resulting shave will be far from comfortable!
What's funny is that I'm sure I read somewhere a description of a keen edge as having a "fin" which would seem to be a wire edge by the description... Then again, I still have the shaving instructions I printed a dozen years ago that suggested the best way to start shaving with a straight was to hold the bade directly perpendicular to your face and "scrape off the whiskers like a squeegee", so that shows how much weight to give something you read somewhere.
