Help! Can anyone tell me about this stone?

[kungfudarren]

Hi all

I have today found this stone in my dads shed and am excited and curious about it. My father died back in 1992 and my mother knows very little about it. I was 12 when my dad died and so didn't really get anything to remember him by. My mum thinks that it belonged to his father who died in 1963 aged 54. Any info would be appreciated, it feels like a very fine grit around the 12k mark or maybe even finer. Would it be an idea to spray it with WD40 oil after I have cleaned it?

Thanks

 

[ANeat]

Looks to be an India Oilstone, at least thats what the label says, Behr-Manning was combined with/bought up whatever, by Norton. If its a fine india its around 400 grit or so. Should be a great stone for knives and tools, probably no so good for a razor.

 

[kungfudarren]

Thanks Adam, I'm keeping my razors well away from this one then! Guess it needs a good clean

 

[Slash McCoy]

Great pocketknife stone! Could be of some limited use in edge repair of straights but probably a little too coarse for general bevel setting. Maybe try it on an ebay rescue and compare the scratch marks and the edge with one done on a known stone. I think they made those in various grits and there were some combo stones, too, so try both sides.

Often these stones develop a glaze of oxidized oil, swarf, and slurry. They will then seem to be finer, and will actually hone finer, but slowly. Deglazing reveals their true nature.