For those bored with sharpening threads, this is not really about sharpening, but more about research related to the history of certain Washita stones. Perhaps I should drop an email to Norton to see if they have any comments.

My notes state that there are two types of Norton / Pike Lily White Washita stones:


  1. Fine medium hard grit
  2. Soft fast cutting grit


I have seen plenty of "Lily White" Washita stones for sale (on eBay) and it seems that having a stone labeled "Fine / Medium Hard" or "Soft / Fast Cutting" is the exception. Did they stop labeling these stones as such? This is a label on the side of a stone:

Lily_White_Fine_Medium_Hard.jpg

On 07/31/2008, Tools For Working Wood had a blog entry titled "Goodbye Lily White Washita - We hardly knew you" in which there are four stones pictures, and there is no mention of this grading other than that they are Lily White Washita stones.

Washita_Lily_White_Tools_For_Woodworking.jpg

I read somewhere that the most useful Washita stone was the fast cutting variety, but it was not stated why. I assume that it is because there are other stones that you can use for a fine edge, but, I do not even remember where I read that. This left me wondering and I would love to try the two different grades just to see the difference in how they sharpen.

Some years ago, I purchased a Lily White Washita stone that was unused and "glued" into a wooden box. OK, I say "glued", but the reality is that they used something else to attach the stone. I think they used plaster or something similar. I purchased the stone from a Museum and they had closed out a woodworking display and were selling the stuff. They said that the stone was from the 1800's (see below). When I have seen a stone graded, the grading has been on the side of the stone, and if this is original, then you cannot easily place a sticker on the end of the stone if it is embedded in a box. I assume that this stone was not used and it does not look that white to me. Looks like a used stone with oil embedded in it.

Washita_Lily_White_Museum.jpg

Also, this stone has a big sticker on the stop. How did people use a stone stuck into a box if there is a big sticker on it? If this was not in a box, then you could just use the other side, but, stones that come in boxes seem to often not have a usable back side of the stone.

This stone does not have a sticker on the side indicating grade and it is in a cardboard box:

Washita_Lily_White_cardboard_box.jpg

If this next stone was labeled, did this come in another cardboard box that had the grading?

Washita_Lily_White_Wooden_box.jpg

So many questions, hoping to find some answers. And I have access to a Fine / Medium Hard, have not tried it yet. Hope to fine the Soft / Fast Cutting type eventually as well.

I also wonder how the other Washitas compare? I assume that the No. 1 Washita stones are not graded (I think they were not warranted for how they work) so they probably run the spectrum. The newest stones I think were simply not rated. The new Washita I purchased end of 2020 were not graded and they are very fast cutters, faster than the other Washita stones that I have:

https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread....washita-stones

Any thoughts?

Andrew Pitonyak