Fernsler’s ruby hone was claimed to be hand made in New Jersey USA, I guesstimate that these dates back to the 1950s, or perhaps the 40s.
The FBH is an odd type of barber hone – they are very lightweight, and they sort of feel like plastic. They work well enough, they just don’t seem like they’re actually doing anything when you’re using one.
Over the years, I have read many claims about these stones, I’ll address a few here.
1 - They are made from shellac.
They are light, but I do not think they are made from shellac, my guess is that these are formed from a synthetic microcrystalline wax.
2 - They’re 18-20k.
When it comes to barber hones, you can forget about grit, and with this one you can certainly dismiss the 10k, 18k, 20k stories.
3 - They make the finest most comfortable edges ever.
Uhmm….no.
4 - They’re hard to lap.
Also no.
5 - They will break if you drop them.
I do think they’ll break easily, but I see dents on this one, so they don’t ‘always’ break on impact.
Overall, I’d say this is one of the better barber hones, comparable to a Frictionite 00, but the Frictionite beats it on sharp, where I think the Fernsler’s does smooth a bit better.
They do a good job of tuning up a tugging edge. Whether using one dry, or with lather or water, care must be taken because they can create a wire edge quickly & easily.
