Bausch & Lomb Microtome Hone

[timwcic]

This is another crown jewel in my collection of hones, and it was rescued from, to quote Brockmire, “the gaping yarn of oblivion”. Been working on this score for a while from a medical collector and was worth the wait
This Bausch & Lomb Microtome Hone is monumental on several levels
First is it’s sheer size, measuring 12 x 3 x 1.5 inches thick and weighs 2648 grams. Wonder If this could be a salesman sample? A answer that’s lost to time
Second is the name B&L and the provenance that it brings to the game
Third is the quality of the construction in the wooden box. It’s all joined with dovetails at the corners. Even the inner liner on the bottom case is finished on a 45° chamfer so the top goes on easily
Forth is the star of the show, the stone and it’s a beast. Having a hard time testing SG due to is size, amount of water for displacement, and capacity of my scale, but is approximately 2.8. It has very faint saw marks in a few places. Look like they were polished off. If has a fine feedback under blade and a touch muddy. When found, had dried slurry running down the sides and collected in the bottom box. The stone is a mystery but has a feel Thuri-ish or similar softer type stone. B&L does
have a history of selling 10 inch Thuringain’s as microtome hones so very possible it has German pedigree. After a few test drives using light slurry and water only, I was given keen edges and burn free shaves
Overall a high class rescue

 

[cugel]

You should have bought a bigger one.

 

[silverlifter]

This Bausch & Lomb Microtome Hone is monumental on several levels

Rescued from Kubrick's props department for 2001...

Gorgeous stone!

 

[Empire straights]

This is another crown jewel in my collection of hones, and it was rescued from, to quote Brockmire, “the gaping yarn of oblivion”. Been working on this score for a while from a medical collector and was worth the wait
This Bausch & Lomb Microtome Hone is monumental on several levels
First is it’s sheer size, measuring 12 x 3 x 1.5 inches thick and weighs 2648 grams. Wonder If this could be a salesman sample? A answer that’s lost to time
Second is the name B&L and the provenance that it brings to the game
Third is the quality of the construction in the wooden box. It’s all joined with dovetails at the corners. Even the inner liner on the bottom case is finished on a 45° chamfer so the top goes on easily
Forth is the star of the show, the stone and it’s a beast. Having a hard time testing SG due to is size, amount of water for displacement, and capacity of my scale, but is approximately 2.8. It has very faint saw marks in a few places. Look like they were polished off. If has a fine feedback under blade and a touch muddy. When found, had dried slurry running down the sides and collected in the bottom box. The stone is a mystery but has a feel Thuri-ish or similar softer type stone. B&L does
have a history of selling 10 inch Thuringain’s as microtome hones so very possible it has German pedigree. After a few test drives using light slurry and water only, I was given keen edges and burn free shaves
Overall a high class rescue

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Tim, one day I'd love to bring a bottle of scotch to the stone fort(castle) you're building out of these rocks and have a drink with you, or a drink around you...I don't know, something. That's a slab.

 

[Empire straights]

Rescued from Kubrick's props department for 2001...

Gorgeous stone!

You win the day.

 

[kcb5150]

Those microtome knives can be huge, heavy, monolithic things so it doesn't surprise me it is cut that way.

 

[Empire straights]

@timwcic I missed the part about it coming with a slurry stone!

 

[David]

Incredible find, Tim.

 

[Wid]

I think I have a huge B&L straight razor blade, no scales. I’ll check when I get home.

 

[timwcic]

Thanks all for all the kind comments. Ounce for ounce, pound for pound, they are all beasts of a stone. Pictured next to its mid-century family member. The Norton/B&L has a 12” Smokey Hard Ark as the finisher

 

[timwcic]

A family portrait of my humble Microtome collection with a few guests
Among the two B&L’s are a pair of what I consider to me Washitas, both 12x3” from Lipshaw Mfg. on the top left. The top right are a pair of ten inch Coticules from Arthur H Thomas and A. S. Aloe, both medical supply companies. The bottom left is my interpretation of the B&L 10” Thuringain with 5” rub stone. I copied the case from a picture of a listing in their catalog. The bottom right, although not a microtome, due to its 4x12 size I thru it in the picture. The Norton Razor Hone Salesman Sample in a homemade case

 

[Sando]

Those are some beasts when two 10” coticules look teeny!

 

[duke762]

Once again timwcic blows my mind. He show's me things I never new existed, never knew I wanted and probably will never have. I anticipate every post, knowing it's going to be something exceedingly cool, interesting and out of the ordinary. Thank you timwcic!

 

[timwcic]

Once again timwcic blows my mind. He show's me things I never new existed, never knew I wanted and probably will never have. I anticipate every post, knowing it's going to be something exceedingly cool, interesting and out of the ordinary. Thank you timwcic!

Thank you very much for the nicest comments I can ever remember receiving. Amazingly all were found in the wild, some after networking and negotiation’s. It feels that this week I am going to disappoint, all I have so far is a 8” Escher and a pair of mystery stones that are in the process of restoring

 

[cugel]