Barber Hones
Barber hones are usually small, hand-held synthetic hones which are suitable for maintaining a straight razor's shaving edge. They are usually very hard, so they tend to wear very slowly can take a long time to lap. Some claim barber hones do not require lapping, and certainly many barbers have used such hones for great lengths of time without lapping them. Some barber hones are dual grit, with a finishing side and a coarser side. The exact grits of barber hones are unknown, but the finishing surfaces of barber hones are commonly thought to be around the 8k to 10k grit range.
Barber hones tend to be fast cutters, generally requiring less than 10 honing strokes to refresh the edge of a razor that is just beginning to pull. If the edge is still not sharp enough after 10 strokes, a second or third set of 10 strokes may be needed. As long as a razor's edge remains undamaged, its shaving edge can be maintained with a barber hone indefinitely. This would have been ideal for a barber, who would have to keep his razors as keen as possible between shaves. For ease of use, barber hones were designed to be used with water, lather, or dry.
