Originally Posted by
Pat Barry
It is interesting that it seems many remark that all the vintage sharpening stones they come across are dished to some degree and yet others note that those stones must not have been used by craftsmen or serious woodworkers. It would appear that stones that are significantly dished must have been used quite a lot, and I'd speculate that hobbyists and non-craftsmen probably never sharpened enough to dish those same stones out, so it leads to the conclusion that at least some craftsmen in the past did not regularly flatten their sharpening stones. Maybe at least, not to the standards we seem to apply on a daily basis in these threads.
Pat, I also insist that the stones found in vintage shops and flea markets are not an indicator of how they were used. Even if they have been in use since the 18th century it's highly unlikely that they left the craftsman's bench and went untouched for 200 years. Your better indicator is to peer into the workshop of a craftsman, such as Warren and see what he is doing and we're lucky as Warren is willing to comment on his practice and his research into historical practice which is quite detailed.
I don't feel it is a huge leap to assume that the stones were used by someone after they left the craftsman's bench at some point in their travels. Without knowing the provenance, which practically impossible, one can gain no real insight into historical practice by looking at stones.
Bumbling forward into the unknown.