Dave
Thank you for your posting here about a problem we all most likely have had to face; from perspective of buying a stone with the same issues, and then either having to live with the stone or sending it back for a replacement or of having to sell a stone with these faults. You do have a faulty stone, your stone does have faults. The faults seen in your photos may just in fact impact your razor, and set back the edge.
Basically from my perspective, you were sold a stone that was mis-labeled as a razor grade stone while in fact it is a knife or tool grade stone. For tools like striking chisels the bevels are so meaty and your hand pressure when sharpening is do great that loose grit from the bias layering in your stone will not affect the sharpness or tenacity of the chisels edge. I if coarser yet, sharpening a screwdriver. You see there are different category's for stones. For chopping or working knives the same holds true. Those faults would not stop a line-cook but they would caution a sushi chef. There are degrees of keenness and there are grades that stones will fall into for use. It is the duty of the seller to grade the stones before he offers them for sale. Mistakes are made, but the seller should be glad to hear from you, and be willing to exchange your knife grade stone for a razor grade stone.
Now, knife grade stones can be slightly coarser (the flakes affecting the blade) but knife grade stones are most greatly appreciated for hand held honing if the stone if a fast cutter. For professional work speed is a real factor. Just guessing, you stone looks to me like a polishing stone and not a sharpening (metal remover) stone. Razor grade stones do not need to be so fast cutting.
If I were you I would open a dialog with the seller and ask for a razor grade stone in exchange, a purer composition stone. He may give you the excuse that the stamps are gone or not, you might find that he may have the stamps to re-stamp the stone. Better sooner than later. The seller should have designated the stones use more accurately, and therefor ask for free shipping and the shipping for returning the stone. All he can say is no, and he might say yes.
Good luck,
Alex
Alex
Thank you for your posting here about a problem we all most likely have had to face; from perspective of buying a stone with the same issues, and then either having to live with the stone or sending it back for a replacement or of having to sell a stone with these faults. You do have a faulty stone, your stone does have faults. The faults seen in your photos may just in fact impact your razor, and set back the edge.
Basically from my perspective, you were sold a stone that was mis-labeled as a razor grade stone while in fact it is a knife or tool grade stone. For tools like striking chisels the bevels are so meaty and your hand pressure when sharpening is do great that loose grit from the bias layering in your stone will not affect the sharpness or tenacity of the chisels edge. I if coarser yet, sharpening a screwdriver. You see there are different category's for stones. For chopping or working knives the same holds true. Those faults would not stop a line-cook but they would caution a sushi chef. There are degrees of keenness and there are grades that stones will fall into for use. It is the duty of the seller to grade the stones before he offers them for sale. Mistakes are made, but the seller should be glad to hear from you, and be willing to exchange your knife grade stone for a razor grade stone.
Now, knife grade stones can be slightly coarser (the flakes affecting the blade) but knife grade stones are most greatly appreciated for hand held honing if the stone if a fast cutter. For professional work speed is a real factor. Just guessing, you stone looks to me like a polishing stone and not a sharpening (metal remover) stone. Razor grade stones do not need to be so fast cutting.
If I were you I would open a dialog with the seller and ask for a razor grade stone in exchange, a purer composition stone. He may give you the excuse that the stamps are gone or not, you might find that he may have the stamps to re-stamp the stone. Better sooner than later. The seller should have designated the stones use more accurately, and therefor ask for free shipping and the shipping for returning the stone. All he can say is no, and he might say yes.
Good luck,
Alex
Alex
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It is my guess that the original owner was oblivious to the squiggles.
