Lap it and also raise a slurry and post more pics. Any identifiable sawcuts on the ends or sides? When you lap it let us know if it seems hard or soft.
Hone ID
- Thread starter JBjunior
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You just need to lap it and see what it can do. Sometimes, the best you can do with a rock is bring a blade to a known point and see if the mystery stone helps or hurts the edge
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- #23
So I can take a butter knife and make scratches like are in some of the pictures and if I dig around with the butter knife in some of the chip areas I can shave off quite a bit of dust. I am new to this but it seems to me that would mean this is a very soft synthetic. I don't think I would be able to shave off dust from a natural hone. Thoughts?
Definitely sounds like a soft stone, but that doesn't mean it's synthetic. I have several natural stones that soft.
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- #25
Thanks eKretz. I was playing around here in the hotel room and rubbed a carborundum vintage stone I had on it and created a slurry. Surprisingly, it took a thrift store razor (non chipped but not sharp edge) up to being able to shave arm and leg hair very quickly. I won't do anything else with it until I can lap it.
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- #26
II think I'm going with some type of slate. Doesn't really look much like a Thuri to me though.
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- #28
Thanks, do you think you can offer some "I know it isn't" to help me narrow it down? Are you seeing anything that would make you think it is a synthetic?
No I don't think it's synthetic. There are a lot of natural stones that it certainly isn't. Could be any of a few types of slate stone or could be something that someone cut from slate themselves. Have you tried it on a razor or knife or chisel?
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- #30
Only the one time I mentioned earlier, which was just to play around with it. I was away from my house until yesterday evening so I may get time to mess with it today. Thank you for all of your assistance, I wonder why no one else is taking any guesses? KCB dropped out on us and no one else has chimed in.
Probably because it is a pretty ambiguous looking stone. Could be all sorts of things or an uncommon not often seen stone. Without having it in hand it's tough to really get a very good true look at it. BTW can you post some better lit shots of the ends? And lap it flat, then clean it off and post well lit wet and dry shots of the lapped surface.
Regarding the "isn'ts," it certainly is none of these IMO: Coticule, Vosgienne, Arkansas, JNat, Hindostan.
It may possibly be but I don't think it is a Thuringian.
More likely are Norton Queer Creek (may be slightly too dark though) or another unidentified sandstone or slate of some sort.
Regarding the "isn'ts," it certainly is none of these IMO: Coticule, Vosgienne, Arkansas, JNat, Hindostan.
It may possibly be but I don't think it is a Thuringian.
More likely are Norton Queer Creek (may be slightly too dark though) or another unidentified sandstone or slate of some sort.
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- #32
I wouldn't rule out synth unless there's sawmarks. A slate hone is almost never found without sawmarks unless someone recently got a hold of it and lapped it on all sides.
8x2" and no sawmarks generally means it's an old stone that was more of a shop stone than a barbers hone. I've had some grey, gritty, sparkly stones that fell around the 2-3k range and reminded me of very hard tightly-formed carborundum which I was never able to determine if they were synth or some natural I was unfamiliar with. I always considered maybe Ohio Blue/QC.
I've had plenty of white Queer Creeks, but I've been told there are blue examples to. That would be the only natural I could venture a guess at, but I'm certainly not confident in it.
8x2" and no sawmarks generally means it's an old stone that was more of a shop stone than a barbers hone. I've had some grey, gritty, sparkly stones that fell around the 2-3k range and reminded me of very hard tightly-formed carborundum which I was never able to determine if they were synth or some natural I was unfamiliar with. I always considered maybe Ohio Blue/QC.
I've had plenty of white Queer Creeks, but I've been told there are blue examples to. That would be the only natural I could venture a guess at, but I'm certainly not confident in it.
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- #34
For the measurements:
It is 7 7/8" long, 1 7/8" wide, and ranges from .95" to 1" thick with my calipers.
It does look like the Queer Creek, though they seem to have came in 6" lengths. So you are probably on the right track with it being a sandstone of some sort... but who knows.
It is 7 7/8" long, 1 7/8" wide, and ranges from .95" to 1" thick with my calipers.
It does look like the Queer Creek, though they seem to have came in 6" lengths. So you are probably on the right track with it being a sandstone of some sort... but who knows.
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QC came in 8x2x1 as well, but they were a lot less common. The 6x2x1's are all over the place (it came in 4",3" and slipstones too, and probably some other cuts as well).
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- #36
Based on accurate measurements with digital calipers and precision rule, if it started out as an 8x2, someone has lapped off a bit on all sides. An 1/8" on the ends and sides.
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- #37
Thanks. That was just a quick ebay/google search on it for images.
Yeah Norton marketed queer creeks, as far as I know they came in every cut their synths and arks came in, except as 1/2 depth trihone pieces... though they may exist too, I've just never seen them. I believe Keith (gamma) has a 7x2x1". I've seen a labeled 8" come up on eBay once, maybe twice. The funny thing is Norton still sells the 8" ones, that may be the only size they bother with these days. They're actually really cheap; but hard to find places that stock them.
This thread has good pictures of a Queer Creek (second post) if you want to compare:
http://straightrazorplace.com/hones/42156-norton-queer-creek-oil-stone.html
This thread has good pictures of a Queer Creek (second post) if you want to compare:
http://straightrazorplace.com/hones/42156-norton-queer-creek-oil-stone.html
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8x2" aren't always exact. I just juggled two dozen india stones I had removed from their handmade boxes to clean and it took a bit of time to sort out which ones fit into which boxes. Generally if it's within a quarter inch or so, it's an 8x2". Not sure why their sizing is so inexact, but there you go.
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- #40
Interesting. Thank you for the information. Of course "grit" is subjective but it seems the Queer Creeks were under 1000, with this one feeling far smoother when comparing it to Norton 4K/8K.
Also, this is one currently on the bay that reminds me of the coloration of my stone:
queercreekstone_(773x800).jpg
Also, this is one currently on the bay that reminds me of the coloration of my stone:
queercreekstone_(773x800).jpg
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