Having remembered reading a few years ago about some razor manufacturers in the days of yore using ironstone and hematite to finish razors on I decided to do an experiment.
Knowing a little about the geology of the western Pennsylvania region here in the US. I know of at least two geological features that would qualify as ironstone. The first is known in local history as the burrstone ore a layer of silica rich iron ore that was used as for producing early iron and steel products. This particular layer is found at times on top of the vanport limestone and not terribly easy for me to get.
The other ironstone found around here locally are ironstone concretions which take several general forms, one of which is a dark chocolate brown form often with pockets of minerals inside interesting but not particularly useful for making a hone . This leads me to the other form that the concretions seem to take as flattened iron stone rich clay concretions.
Having found a suitable candidate I went to work flattening and soon I had a hone.
Being in a hurry a put blade to stone with a German made magnetic cutlery blade that had a good bevel but little else. After a few dozen x strokes. The razor was just catching and cutting hairs at about 1/2 inch. Of course I know that hanging hair test pass does not necessarily a shaver make but the shave must wait! Till next time
Knowing a little about the geology of the western Pennsylvania region here in the US. I know of at least two geological features that would qualify as ironstone. The first is known in local history as the burrstone ore a layer of silica rich iron ore that was used as for producing early iron and steel products. This particular layer is found at times on top of the vanport limestone and not terribly easy for me to get.
The other ironstone found around here locally are ironstone concretions which take several general forms, one of which is a dark chocolate brown form often with pockets of minerals inside interesting but not particularly useful for making a hone . This leads me to the other form that the concretions seem to take as flattened iron stone rich clay concretions.
Having found a suitable candidate I went to work flattening and soon I had a hone.
Being in a hurry a put blade to stone with a German made magnetic cutlery blade that had a good bevel but little else. After a few dozen x strokes. The razor was just catching and cutting hairs at about 1/2 inch. Of course I know that hanging hair test pass does not necessarily a shaver make but the shave must wait! Till next time