Best stone ever

[Peder]

I've got a Vintage HM6 Trans/Black. The darn thing freaks me out. The corners and edges disappear in ambient light, yet as Black as my heart in the center. I really try not to use it much because I consider it cheating, unfathomable successes with anything I bring to it. In my opinion, I should be able to recreate these successes with any, Vintage Trans/Black Norton that I own considering, they are all lapped the same.

Extremely cool score! I never heard Dan's had anything like that. Real good info!

I don’t think of it as cheating. I think of it as the pinnacle of progression. There is nothing better than getting the honing, stropping, perfect lather, perfect scent for the day to start a morning properly. My stones are all 6x2x1 so the wait wasn’t too bad. I ordered a 8x3x1 black and trans years ago and the black came in a couple months whereas the trans I got tired of waiting after over a year.

 

[Alum of Potash]

Dan’s, but you have to request 1. They aren’t list or mined for actively.

Wow! I didn't know that, and I've done a lot of business with Dan's. Thanks. I have a vintage Norton and a Natural Whetstone translucent black in the States, and a Dictum translucent black here in France. I would style these "blue-black" from the color, and they do appear to bring things up a notch in terms of fineness.

 

[Pack line]

I've read that those war eagle stones are great too. They're essentially an old washita.

Makes me feel a little better. Now i am on the hunt for a trans black stone in an oilstone box so i can get them to their proper homes... ocd kicking in a bit

 

[Empire straights]

Makes me feel a little better. Now i am on the hunt for a trans black stone in an oilstone box so i can get them to their proper homes... ocd kicking in a bit

I see those war eagle stones go for enough to cover a new translucent from Dan's or if you're patient and old one. If I wasn't on a self imposed buying freeze I'd take it off your hands. I want one.

 

[Pack line]

I see those war eagle stones go for enough to cover a new translucent from Dan's or if you're patient and old one. If I wasn't on a self imposed buying freeze I'd take it off your hands. I want one.

I honestly do not remember ever selling a stone...that is a strange revelation. I seriously still have every stone i have ever bought? Never occurred to me before your post ...
Sorry that was my inside voice coming out, just had to say it out loud

 

[Empire straights]

I honestly do not remember ever selling a stone...that is a strange revelation. I seriously still have every stone i have ever bought? Never occurred to me before your post ...
Sorry that was my inside voice coming out, just had to say it out loud

I'm in the same boat. Just an ever growing rock pile.

 

[Pack line]

When i drop dead, i am sure my wife will be sellinh last rock. I have documented what most of my stone are and there value. My wife is a professional photographer. So if you see a hoard of stones with good pictures and descriptions on an auction site and i have not posted in a while.....

 

[Kyle89]

When i drop dead, i am sure my wife will be sellinh last rock. I have documented what most of my stone are and there value. My wife is a professional photographer. So if you see a hoard of stones with good pictures and descriptions on an auction site and i have not posted in a while.....

Tombstone will read “Here lies this man who must have been a geologist or something”

 

[Pack line]

Tombstone will read “Here lies this man who must have been a geologist or something”

I'm not that bad yet. Read thru the flea market find thread. Some guys could build a sizable shed out of stones.

 

[Rosseforp]

Dan’s hard is the absolute best for kitchen knives imho. Sharp with teeth.

Agreed.

~doug~

 

[SliceOfLife]

I'm not that bad yet. Read thru the flea market find thread. Some guys could build a sizable shed out of stones.

Tim probably has the biggest collection here and has likely spent less on it than many of us have spent on a single stone (if you don't count time and gas)... he's living the dream.

 

[timwcic]

Tim probably has the biggest collection here and has likely spent less on it than many of us have spent on a single stone (if you don't count time and gas)... he's living the dream.

Hey, I resemble that remark

I have several Blue/Black Arks, they are all great stones and this one, may be one of my smallest but has a memorable story. I was at a skin cancer clinic taking place at the residence program of my local hospital. While the brains full of mush residence doctors were burning suspicious growths from my body, I had a conversation with a very old old-timer supervising doctor about the honing of cutting Instruments used in his practice. He told me about honing in the evening on Norton stones using glycerin or Vaseline depending on what he was working on. A skill learned during his residency. It was a interesting conversation with the smell of burning flesh is in the air. When I went back a week later for follow up, he gifted me this B-B Hard Ark as long as I gave it a good home. It was his hone and it was in a medical bag for decades. He said he enjoyed our talk and wanted the hone to have a good life after he assumed room temperature. A true surgical black

 

[Rosseforp]

My progression. If it’s already sharp I only do from translucent on. Otherwise 10 soft pressure strokes on soft, 15 on hard, 30 translucent, 30 black, 30 blue-black, 15 on Tony Miller linen, 25 on either steerhide or rough out Tony Miller leather, 50 light strokes on Kanayama. Photo shows soft through blue-black.

My arkansas progression.

Soft, Hard, Black, Trans, Surgical Black. The Surgical Black has been convexed on one side.

~doug~

 

[Empire straights]

I'm not that bad yet. Read thru the flea market find thread. Some guys could build a sizable shed out of stones.

Collecting pricey bricks unless I ever find myself homeless again.

 

[Pack line]

Collecting pricey bricks unless I ever find myself homeless again.

I am currently houseless. Temporary living situations suck. Everything i own is packed. Very annoying.

 

[SliceOfLife]

Sorry to hear that man. I just got done three moves inside a year; not the same circumstances... but living practically out of a suitcase anyway. I hope you get it all sorted soon. It's a nice relief when you do finally get to unpack and relax. (Not to turn this political, but if you've ever watched a docu or news article on "home first" methods of combating homelessness, it really makes sense... basically the premise is that just HAVING a place to lay your head and feel safe in (which is yours) is a massive psychological need that provides a foundation that leads to sorting out a life better than anything else we've tried).

 

[Pack line]

Sorry to hear that man. I just got done three moves inside a year; not the same circumstances... but living practically out of a suitcase anyway. I hope you get it all sorted soon. It's a nice relief when you do finally get to unpack and relax. (Not to turn this political, but if you've ever watched a docu or news article on "home first" methods of combating homelessness, it really makes sense... basically the premise is that just HAVING a place to lay your head and feel safe in (which is yours) is a massive psychological need that provides a foundation that leads to sorting out a life better than anything else we've tried).

I hate moving, try not to do it often. I'm not in a bad way or anything but just looking to settle into a place soon.

 

[Empire straights]

I hate moving, try not to do it often. I'm not in a bad way or anything but just looking to settle into a place soon.

That in-between, limbo feeling sucks.

 

[FarmerTan]

Hey, I resemble that remark

I have several Blue/Black Arks, they are all great stones and this one, may be one of my smallest but has a memorable story. I was at a skin cancer clinic taking place at the residence program of my local hospital. While the brains full of mush residence doctors were burning suspicious growths from my body, I had a conversation with a very old old-timer supervising doctor about the honing of cutting Instruments used in his practice. He told me about honing in the evening on Norton stones using glycerin or Vaseline depending on what he was working on. A skill learned during his residency. It was a interesting conversation with the smell of burning flesh is in the air. When I went back a week later for follow up, he gifted me this B-B Hard Ark as long as I gave it a good home. It was his hone and it was in a medical bag for decades. He said he enjoyed our talk and wanted the hone to have a good life after he assumed room temperature. A true surgical black

View attachment 1552247View attachment 1552248

I used to love listening to the older nurses talking about being new and being forced to work 3rd shift, and part of their duties involved sharpening needles and running the autoclave.....a dying skill I'd wager...

 

[Rosseforp]

I used to love listening to the older nurses talking about being new and being forced to work 3rd shift, and part of their duties involved sharpening needles and running the autoclave.....a dying skill I'd wager...

Running the autoclave is supposed to keep you from dying!

~doug~