Hones you need to stay away from,

[Smythe]

If you are like me on the look out for vintage hones then be on the lookout for a few Creative auctions. A few eBay sellers have began putting the word “razor” somewhere in the title, possibly and attempt to draw the bids of inexperienced vintage “hone hunters”.
At first I thought a few were errors or the seller “don’t know anything about these” but it is becoming too easy to find these “errors”?.. Here is one example.

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Not only is this stone an ordinary double grit Silicon Carbide sharpening stone (absolutely no use for razors), it is also in desperate need of a good lapping (and maybe the seller is in desperate need of a good slapping for suggesting “curved” as if that’s a good thing).

 

[Smythe]

Here is another

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Give me a break… where on the box does it say “Razor Hone”
It’s a Carborundun combination stone (Silicon Carbide) for sharpening tools, and if the seller read the label in the box, it says No 109… not 105… but the numbers make no difference, it was back then, and still today, no good for razors…

OK... ok it does have one use for razors… I use one to remove large chips and frowns.

 

[Smythe]

And now for the ridiculous.
This one puts the word(s) “German” and “Razor” in the title…
Sure… it’s a “hone”, and yes it’s from “Germany”… but it’s NOT a razor hone… it’s a scythe hone… you know the thing the “Grim Reaper” never leaves home without.

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[Smythe]

Now this is a razor hone.
But I have serious doubts that it is a “Natural Combination” as the seller suggest… I suspect it’s a “glued combo". Also the measurements don’t seem right to my eyes, he says its 5 x 2, but the proportions look like 4 x 2 or 2 ½ x 5… but then, sometimes photos are re-sized the aspect ratio go out of whack.

And if the stone is vintage, were they graded as “selected” as the seller suggests… I guess that’s his “best guess”… but he is probably right about that.

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Lovely stone though… and I hope the new owner finds as much pleasure from it as I do mine.

 

[Smythe]

Now this one really ticks me off. This is a Norton India Oil Stone for tools (or fools… Well, he says his father was a barber so he should know better)… not the Norton Razor Hone that would fetch bids in the three figures.
This one is yellow on one side and gray on the other, and sometimes photos of these stones make them look very much like combo Coticules… Oh and don’t let the “uneven” line between the grits get the better of your HAD… I have a few man-made sharpening stones with “primitive” joints between the grits… wanna buy one cheap?.

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[tat2Ralfy]

Lovely post as always :thumbup:

What about this bad boy of a hone:

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[Bart]

$430...

 

[JimR]

430...but of course, he's seen Mickey Mantle Cards go ROUTINELY at 22,000!

:scared: :scared: :scared:

 

[Bart]

I don't know if you English speaking guys use a similar expression, but in Belgium we have this saying:

Q: What's it worth?
A: What the fool gives for it.



Bart.

 

[torbenbp]

Or as we say in Denmark " Thats cheap if it`s worth more"

:

 

[tat2Ralfy]

We say "A fool and His money (are easily parted)" And I say (Not related to price hype but someone might get a chuckle..Bart?)....

"Come back when you have LESS time" hahaha

And one of my faves is "The pleasure is all yours" hahaha

 

[Smythe]

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Ah yes… that stone… remember, exactly one month ago we had a thread discussing a stone on SRP? In one post there was a link to an auction, it was that same stone, the auction ended without a single bid… here is the link again to the completed auction.

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It would appear the seller wants no less than 400 for it, and as noted in that thread, Coticules have sold for around that price.

But I suspect the hone will languish in the eBay listings for at least the near future for a couple of reasons (and this is the salesman in me talking now)…
The first photo (the one that appears in the eBay search listing) does not appear to be a “normal” combo Coticule, in fact, the photo gives the “first impression” of a “blue” stone with little or no Coticule side. If that first pic was of the Coticule side, the sale would stand a better chance.
The straight razor (and collectors) community is “fickle”, they will pay a premium if they know what they are getting, and everything else is the chance at a bargain. He said he doesn’t have “a ton of information” about Coticules, but he did research what’s important to him… the current prices… that will most likely drive away even the most seasoned collector (I guess there is no bargain there).
I also suspect he has been getting offers but he refuses to budge on price… and judging from his other (all non-shaving related) items, the stone is the highest in value. It would appear from his limited research, convinced himself the stone is worth the price, but he doesn’t know the market because he doesn't have a clue what buyers in this market are looking for. And thus feels “cheated” if it were sold for less…

However all is not lost, one day someone may buy it, maybe an inexperienced collector who will be happy with it… so again, good luck to that seller.

 

[slartibartfast]

Wow still going. He must be basing his price off the Kosher Coticule that sold for $430 recently(if my memory is correct).

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[PA23-250]

:thumbdown: $400 for a 4x2 w/ barely 3mm of coticule on 1 side? Anyone else notice he "WRITES IN ALL CAPS" to boot? All the way through?

As we say over here: "Fail!"

 

[tat2Ralfy]

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DOESN'T THAT MEAN HE IS SHOUTING AT US??
by that reckoning my beloved #10 is worth over a Grand!
I will "Glass Case" it and never rub hard steel over it ever again!
Hahaha

 

[slartibartfast]

Hmm.. the $400 coticule didnt sell....again.


Is now back with a higher price
http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-BARBER-BELGIAN-STRAIGHT-RAZOR-COMBINATION-HONE-60s_W0QQitemZ120528661150QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item1c10116a9e

 

[tat2Ralfy]

Jeez this Guy is going to start getting into negative equity with all those Ebay fees