Carborundum Razor Hone
This is one of the venerable Carborundum razor stones. Made from silicon carbide, they’re small, light, and fast to work with.
These stones were first manufactured in the late 1800s, and the production of these stones continued until the early 1980s. There were many variants, and most were numbered. This one does not have a label on its side, and the box is not numbered. I’ll call it a #100 until I can figure out what it’s real number is.
Most of what I call the 100-series Carborundum hones are identical in performance. Most people want to know what ‘grit’ these stones are – but it’s a difficult question to answer. If you read posts on the web – you’ll see reports of 4-10k for these stones. Truthfully – the quality of the finish is best found in the treatment of the stone and the technique used. A well-lapped 100 that has been lathered can turn out a nice shaving edge when a practiced hand with a light touch handles the work.
These hones were designed for professional barbers. They are fast aggressive cutters, and with good technique they can be used effectively to make a tugging blade cut more efficiently. A busy barber could keep one in his smock, when his blade started to dull – he could do a few quick passes to keep the shave going smoothly.
Barber hones are not high-end finishers. I know people do use them as finishing stones, but that is something I would not do voluntarily. I keep one or two in the shave-den for when/if I need to touch up an edge. I keep one in my travel kit also. Carborundum razor hones are virtually maintenance-free; once they are lapped flat they really shouldn’t need much attention afterwards. If you find that the cutting action is too aggressive, it can be toned down with a coat of petroleum jelly.
This hone was lapped flat and the edges were chamfered. The original box is worn, but still pretty solid and quite serviceable.
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Approximate Dimensions: 4.0 x 2.0 x 0.5” / 102 x 51 x 13 mm
Weight: 4.1 oz / 117 g