Thread: Can Someone Educate Me On This One?

I keep an eye out for hones/stones on Ebay. This one caught my eye when it first appeared.
http://http://www.ebay.com/itm/270824242075
I have a few barber hones & numerous "Norton" stones for my knives. What is so special about this small Norton barber's hone that people are willing to pay this kind of money, $405.99?

Is this just two silly people bidding or does one have a SERIOUS case of H.A.D.?

Posting live auctions is a no-no.

That Norton hone always sells for a LOT, for various reasons, one including competition axe throwers in Australia.

Different sites have different rules. Here on SRP discussions of active auctions are allowed as long as they remain civil.

This particular hone has been pretty desirable for number of years. Apparently there is a niche market for it. It's supposed to be really good for razors too.
You're probably surprised only because you don't see them all the time like say the Escher hones, or the Filarmonica razors which go for a lot of money too. Now what is surprising is why the prices of the later are as high given the supply we see, while prices of equally good razors with much limited supply remain lower.

I have one of those Norton barber hones.
It is a two sided barber hone, like many others out there.
I would rate it amongst the finer barber hones, but it is not like it is a totally different animal than the other fine barber hones out there.

It does have one peculiar feature which I have not seen in any other BH, and that is that it will add a wicked sharpness to an already sharpened and highly polished razor. Like scary sharp

I've read that the guys involved in ax sports find it the best hone for quickly touching up their edges during a competition. I believe Australia is the place of highest demand for them. A friend of mine had one and said it was very good on razors. I'll suffer with my escher though.

Thanks for the info, Gentlemen.
Is there a reference for hones/stones? How does one learn which are most desirable?