What type of stone

[Jim Foster]

207248

I found a stone many years ago, seems soft and smooth, cleaned it up recently. Anyone know what kid of stone? Water stone, Oil stone, etc... It's 8"x2"

[Ron Kellison]

I'm going to guess black Arkansas.

[James Taglienti]

It looks like a Thuringian razor hone to me, if you wet it and rub it with some very high grit wet dry sandpaper youshould get an opaque teal colored slurry. Is it a pretty soft stone?

[David Weaver]

Be lucky if it turns out to be a thuringian, especially if it's a good one and especially at that size.

[Jim Foster]

It is soft, and it seems like a fine stone. I thought it may have been a piece of Vermont slate somebody used for a stone. Should I use oil or water with it?


It looks like a Thuringian razor hone to me, if you wet it and rub it with some very high grit wet dry sandpaper youshould get an opaque teal colored slurry. Is it a pretty soft stone?

[Jim Foster]

It needs flattening, but it's not cracked and still has a good thickness to it. It is pretty out of flat. The only way I could see someone getting it so out of flat is if the sharpened kitchen knives or carving tools with it.


Be lucky if it turns out to be a thuringian, especially if it's a good one and especially at that size.

[Jim Foster]

I googled Thuringian, and it seems like it may be the stone I have. Thanks for the feedback!

[george wilson]

Give the dimensions,please. It looks like a barber's razor stone to me.

[Larry Williams]

The razor hones I see aren't 8" long. My guess is that it's a Queer Creek stone from Norton/Pike.

[Jim Foster]

It's 7"x2"x3/4". How do you know if it's a barber's stone? I googled "Queer Creek Stone" and have not found a picture that looks close to what this stone looks like (not saying its not a queer creek, maybe its because this one is so used.)

Thanks for the interest

[george wilson]

It's 7"x2"x3/4". How do you know if it's a barber's stone? I googled "Queer Creek Stone" and have not found a picture that looks close to what this stone looks like (not saying its not a queer creek, maybe its because this one is so used.)

Thanks for the interest

I have since googled the type stone mentioned. They are used for razor stones,among other things. Very expensive,too.

[David Weaver]

The only way to tell if it's a good razor hone is to sharpen a straight razor with it and see what the shave quality is straight off of it with nothing but leather or palm stropping. If it doesn't seem finer than a woodworking finisher, though, don't bother.

Eschers (branded thuringians) are very fine stones, but even unbranded thuringians can bring big $$ compared to what we think is reasonable for woodworking stones.

As far as queer creek stones, didn't someone mention once that they're a second line stone?

[george wilson]

The only way to tell if it's a good razor hone is to sharpen a straight razor with it and see what the shave quality is straight off of it with nothing but leather or palm stropping. If it doesn't seem finer than a woodworking finisher, though, don't bother.

Eschers (branded thuringians) are very fine stones, but even unbranded thuringians can bring big $$ compared to what we think is reasonable for woodworking stones.

As far as queer creek stones, didn't someone mention once that they're a second line stone?

I have large razor stones that I bought years ago from the old guy who owned American Hone Co.,he said they were made for use in razor factories. They are about 2 1/2" X 8" X 5/8". Not too many razor factories around now!

[David Keller NC]

Yet another possibility is that it's a Belgian blue stone:

http://www.theperfectedge.com/belgian.shtml

Given that you don't know what kind of stone it is, I'd try it out by wetting the surface with a wet sponge and see what happens. If the water won't wet it, then it was likely used as an oil stone. You can clean all of the oil out of a stone by soaking it in laquer thinner, but I wouldn't bother - I'd just use it as an oil stone.

What I would definitely not recommend is soaking it in water. Certain kinds of stone have bonding minerals that are somewhat soluble in water, particularly after long soakings. It might fall apart.

[george wilson]

For some reason,every time I try to post something,a quote from another post is included. I pushed the rectangular REPLY button to make this post. Hopefully it will work. Ever since the hurricane,and the rain from the other hurricane(Lee),things have been messed up here.