Neat Video, the Making of Natural Stone Sharpening Stones

[Stew Denton]

This video shows how one brand of European sharpening stones are first mined and then processed into finished sharpening stones of all types.

Definitely it is a neander process, but now diamond saws are also used. Unfortunately, the company is dying as the kids to not want to carry on the family tradition, even though the demand for the stones in Europe is good.

Very neat video, and interesting to watch.


Natural SHARPENING STONES. Artisanal cutting techniques of this black gold in nature - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDJBq5tv2L0&t=35s)

Regards,

Stew

[Maurice Mcmurry]

Neat-O! Thanks for posting . There is a similar video in the “Hands” series from Ireland it’s back in the SMC archive some where . I have been trying to find some good stones at Whetstone Creek State Park in the middle of Missouri near I-70.


https://youtu.be/ek1k5vV-ySs

[Matt Hunstiger]

That's an interesting type of sedimentary rock with bedding planes. In the US the Arkansas stone that is used for sharpening stones is a type of rock called novaculite. It does not have bedding planes and as such is also used as flintknapped stone. It comes in lots of pretty colors: purple, pink, white, black, gray, striped, mottled, etc. Different colors tend to have different textures/hardness, and so you see the sharpening stones for sale of different levels (course/fine/ultra-fine or whatever they are called) will often be a particular color. The specimen sitting on my keyboard has just a hint of a sugary texture to it, and so would be on the coarser side of things.

Novaculite Point:
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