Anyone Have Info on this Hone?

[Dr. Ed Ashby]

I posted these photos of a "Victory Razor Hone" on the 'Straight Razor Caping Knife' thread also. I'd like to find out any information about this particular hone. I've Googled the company, and razor hones in general, but without any results. It's an antique one, and says it was made by the "Victory Hone Company, Des Moines, USA". Here are pics of the Victory Razor Hone.

Photo 1 is the face of the hone. The round ceramic disk shown beside it came with the hone, and is used to keep the hone's surface flat and true. Its flat, almost polished bottom side is used to dress the stone.

 


Photo 2 shows an angling edge-one view. The honeing material is very, very soft, almost like an extremely fine-grade jewler's rouge, but in a solid slab. It is attached to a backing laminate of a plexiglass-like material. Judging from the wear marks, it appears that the back side was used for final honing, after the front surface had been used.

 


Photo 3 shows the back surface. The manufacturer's details are visible through the plexi-glass like backing.

 


Whatever this hone is, it is among the better final-finishing hones I've seen/used. I'd like to know more about it, if anyone knows anything about them.

Ed

[JBiorn]

Ed, that is a barbers hone and it looks to me as if it is from the 40's or 50's. This was used to dress a razor after a particulatly rough beard. The backside is merely a base, you would find these on the barbers counter right next to the strop. The ones I have seen have been in a kind of can, so that the barber can put the lid over it to protect from dust.

 My Grampa had one just like it he used for shaving.

[Ian johnson]

I have one almost exactly like that, I dont use it, but I keep it because it is one of the few items I have to remember my grandfather

[Dr. Ed Ashby]

Jeff, I'm trying to find any specifics on this particular hone. Harold's father was a barber. This, along with about a dozen other types of razor hones were among his posessions. This particular hone is very different from the others, and I found it highly effective as an ultrafine finish stone. I'd like to identify the particular abrasive material on it, just so I can know what it is, and Harold was interested in any information about the company that made it.

Ed

[John Nail]

Ed: Try posting those pictures here. I bet you get a response.

 http://www.mygrannysatticantiques.com/antiqueforum/

[oops sorry]

It might be cerium oxide in some kind of binder. That has been done before and my (feeble) recollection is that is what that hone looks like to me. This is bordering on WAG, however.

[returntoarchery]

save it rather than use it. If you want that fine of an edge, get a set of Japanese Water stones. They go as fine as 8000 and will put a mirror finish on an edge.

[oops sorry]

I may have been incorrect in my "cerium oxide" WAG, but the cerium oxide of old (jewler's rouge) was red due to other oxides notably thorium oxide. Got a geiger counter? It is not unusual for some of the old finishing stones to be radioactive due to the thorium. I agree with the suggestion about the Japanese water stones. They can be remarkable.