This one's not soft for a Charn really, probably average of what I've had, it's just a bit softer than Idwals. Probably quite a small difference in the grand scheme of things, just that I've flattened a fair few dished examples of each with atomas, and you start to notice little details.
Charnley Forest show off your Charnwood
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This one's not soft for a Charn really, probably average of what I've had, it's just a bit softer than Idwals. Probably quite a small difference in the grand scheme of things, just that I've flattened a fair few dished examples of each with atomas, and you start to notice little details.
The first charnley I got is insanely hard. It's probably one of my hardest and finest stones. It's novaculite that doesn't leave any teeth. The first llyn idwal I got is probably denser than my black arks. I assumed they were all like this. At least some degree of consistency. I don't know why I, in my presumptuous idiocy, thought they'd all be the same. The second one I got is softer, very similar to my stamped "sperm oil only" no.1 washita. The difference is its very hard but more friable. I've been using Tam slurry on them but I took my first LI and used it to raise a slurry from this(pic related) stone. The slurry was pretty light but felt like it was breaking down. I tested three knives I always carry that I put on a few different things and the one I used on this stone with its own slurry, raised by a very fine very hard stone, was my far the most aggressive but it didn't feel as sharp as another. Im going to try a razor on this stone with a slurry raised from a la lune slurry stone or that finger stone you sent me. I bet it's softer than both. I'll try the LI as a rub stone with a razor later. When my hands want to cooperate.
I had to mess up the surface to get it flat so I was trying different stones out to polish the surface. That what got me paying attention to the slurries. In me to the slurry game. I always washed it away because it file ruin an edge. When I began to read about Japanese stones and the style of honing used for swords it awakened my inner mess scientist which I can only corral for so long. It's more fun anyway.
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Interesting! The Idwals I’ve had have all been very hard, though the coarser ones feel softer in use. But I wouldn’t describe any as particularly friable.
An interesting thing to note - all Charnleys and Idwals will be denser than black arks, even if they’re softer. They tend to have SGs running from about 2.7 to 2.8 (though I do have examples of both which are slightly below this). And generally ime the finer stones have lower SGs - closer to that of a black or trans ark.
I just bought this look alike to my mystery stone. Let's see if that'll give a clue.
Haha! I had my eye on that one, and made an offer but the seller said he was going to wait a while to see if it sold... damn you!
Will be interesting to see what it is. I’d assume either an Idwal or a Welsh slate...
I was interested in that one too! Let us know what it is, big mystery! Looked very fine and nice to my eyes.
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Now that one looks interesting and I would almost lean more toward a CF on that if I had to guess on looks alone.
I don't know but i I've yet to get a green UK stone that I didn't love. I need to slow down now though.
Lapped and tried out a few new ones yesterday:
This is quite a typical, fine, razor type Charnley, nice size at 8.25 x 2 and an inch thick:
This one I'm rather taken by, though many here wouldn't be. It's quite quick for a Charn, and a bit coaser than normal, though I wouldn't call it soft. Quite a pretty, unusual sea-green colour, with some spiffy swirly patterns. Cut to a neat 8.5 x 2 and I guess a later quarried stone perhaps (?):
This is 5.5 x 1.5 and should make an excellent razor stone. One of, if not the, finest Charns I've had:
TBH I don't know if this little 5x1 is a CF, but that'd be my best guess, and I imagine a pretty old one. Perhaps someone else has another idea though...? Super fine, and slightly glassy feel to it:
This is quite a typical, fine, razor type Charnley, nice size at 8.25 x 2 and an inch thick:
This one I'm rather taken by, though many here wouldn't be. It's quite quick for a Charn, and a bit coaser than normal, though I wouldn't call it soft. Quite a pretty, unusual sea-green colour, with some spiffy swirly patterns. Cut to a neat 8.5 x 2 and I guess a later quarried stone perhaps (?):
This is 5.5 x 1.5 and should make an excellent razor stone. One of, if not the, finest Charns I've had:
TBH I don't know if this little 5x1 is a CF, but that'd be my best guess, and I imagine a pretty old one. Perhaps someone else has another idea though...? Super fine, and slightly glassy feel to it:
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Lovely stones Oli. That 5.5 one really looks the part too for a razor type. I think that last one is probably a Charnley Forest too from what I can tell in the pic and appears to be a very old example. Maybe from an odd quarry or something. It reminds me a bit of my really odd one that I still think maybe one. Where those ends are white and kind of hollow like a Turkey stone without oil. Did you soak it? Mine got very white gray after simple green soak and weeks later darkened back up some as I think oil deep within moved closer to the surface. Mine has a crazy pattern though that looks nothing like a cf, but yours I think does.
Amazing! You might have rekindled my compulsion to buy green stones from the UK. I slowed down after I had that big one seized, and I went on a jnat spree. My Tenjyou Mikawa nagura got stolen in Memphis(no surprise really, actually could be a terrible country song) so in waiting on more to come into the store for a replacement to be shipped to me. I would be very frustrated about the situation if my jnats hadn't become my go to stones for most fine work on all blades. Before I was going nuts on the jnats my green stones from the UK were my most used stones. What would a few more hurt?
A beauty and a beast.
I was quite pleased with them, especially as from memory it was only the 5.5x1.5 razor stone that was listed as CF, the others were hopeful gambles.
You're right - that little old one does have some features of that stone of yours, doesn't it. I didn't soak mine, so those light bits at the ends are just how it was. I think this one is quite likely to be CF, so perhaps strengthens the case for yours. As you say - maybe from some old quarry that fell into disuse.
I got this one lapped today. It was pretty close to flat already but the granite surface plate doesn’t lie. It’s lucky there wasn’t much to do because this baby is hard. It was pretty much like lapping an Ark.
It’s certainly a finisher. I used it today on a new Bengall I’m working on. I went from Shapton Glass 10k HR to the Charnley on oil (freshly lapped to 1200 grit WD). It was faster than an Ark but the finish wasn’t far off. This stone has got potential. 240 x 47.6 x 12.8 mm.
If they’re all like this I could become a fan.
It’s certainly a finisher. I used it today on a new Bengall I’m working on. I went from Shapton Glass 10k HR to the Charnley on oil (freshly lapped to 1200 grit WD). It was faster than an Ark but the finish wasn’t far off. This stone has got potential. 240 x 47.6 x 12.8 mm.
If they’re all like this I could become a fan.
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Looks very like a large stone I sent @ables recently, which I'd consider pretty typical of the CFs I've had. They have a better hit rate of being good for razors than Idwals do, which are more likely to be better for knives. From the ones I've had it's been about 75:25 in either direction I think.
They’re beautiful stones.
Yeah they're lovely
.Watch out for that little red spot down the bottom on the side of yours, might be an inclusion of harder material. Though given where it is - it may not may any difference either way.
Putting this here, though I'm not 100% certain on it tbh, it could be an Idwal but I'm leaning Charnley. It has some elements of both and some of neither, but the colour, patterning, composition and feel say CF to me.
Whatever it is, it was 'a bear to lap', as I believe you say in the United States. Stone was probably dished around 15mm in the middle, which is pretty extraordinary considering it's way harder than any UK novaculite I've had before. Lapping it took a helluva long time cos it's pretty decent size stone - 8x2 and still a little over 1" thick.
I suspect this is going to be a very good, super fine razor finisher, but pretty useless for anything else. The search for the mythical soft 'n' coarse Charnley continues...
Whatever it is, it was 'a bear to lap', as I believe you say in the United States. Stone was probably dished around 15mm in the middle, which is pretty extraordinary considering it's way harder than any UK novaculite I've had before. Lapping it took a helluva long time cos it's pretty decent size stone - 8x2 and still a little over 1" thick.
I suspect this is going to be a very good, super fine razor finisher, but pretty useless for anything else. The search for the mythical soft 'n' coarse Charnley continues...
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Oli that's a nice stick of butter. From what I see I would say CF on it too. Looks nice and sounds like it might make a good razor stone. The only thing is how flat and clean cut it is, but there are some cf like that.
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I should add looks wise it reminds me of the labeled Whittle Hill stone I have with the darker markings. That stone is my softest CF though.
