There was a time when men did not rely on disposable razors and blades.  When a man bought a razor, once it became dull, it was the job of someone to resharpen it.  Most often than not the razor was taken to a barber, but sometimes the owners themselves would do the sharpening with a hone.  There are primarily two varieties of hones that can be purchased today: natural and synthetic hones. This article provides a brief introduction to the types and their advantages.