What's new

Hindostan Info/Photos/ID Thread

I would just keep soaking it in fresh S.G. After a few soaks it should stop changing colors. You might want to give it some time between soaks to let the oil migrate back out to the surface of the stone. The effect of Simple Green as far as I can tell is similar to lye - it dissolves the oil, but can't penetrate the stone very far. So oil is removed at and near the surface, then migrates back out again. One of these days I might try lye on an old "don't care" stone.
 
Just adding some pics of what I believe to be a Hindostan sharpening stone which I bought by accident on ebay. The stone was used with oil, I cleaned it up and flattened it on granite using wet and dry sandpaper - now using it with slurry and water mainly to sharpen knives. It does well with the Washitas (Number one and rosy red?), who knows - they both are fast. Heard somewhere that the lily whites hat a SG higher than 2.6, mine washitas are lower at 2,3 and 2,22 the Hindostan being 2,31 in Specific Gravity.
 

Attachments

  • DSC_0705.JPG
    8.6 MB · Views: 34
  • DSC_0706.JPG
    7.8 MB · Views: 29
  • DSC_0707.JPG
    8.5 MB · Views: 26

timwcic

"Look what I found"
Got this little nugget over the weekend. Was in a homemade case and oil soaked black. It was marked Arkansas on the top so I thought to take a gamble. Into the dip for a few days and, to my surprise, a Hindostan came out and was smiling back at me. Typical looking stone but with bold layering and covered with rusty red freckles. I have several #1 sizes stones, so this is their smaller cousin, but a nice example of a Hindo

6EF5ECFA-7D25-4555-B22B-CAA06CB84EF3.jpeg
A809FF02-70EF-43A5-BE8F-2F878B470268.jpeg
9EBDB561-D976-41C3-BFBF-4C971014759D.jpeg
2B646B4B-546F-4020-B15E-C0CA43F09C13.jpeg
0C6A918B-07A5-4FE6-9FA1-7722A5E89A84.jpeg
 
Interesting, I have not generally seen the layered side used as the working surface. I fell into what I'm pretty sure is another small Hindo recently also, this one is a small barber hone size, about 4" × 2" and ½" thick.

20210311_012309.jpg


20210311_012326.jpg
 
Does this look like a Hindostan? I just cleaned and flattened it. It feels very fine. The banding is thinner and fainter than on the other ones I have had. It looked cooler before I got most of the oil out of it.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_9096.jpeg
    IMG_9096.jpeg
    2.3 MB · Views: 29
  • IMG_9099.jpeg
    IMG_9099.jpeg
    2.4 MB · Views: 28
  • IMG_9105.jpeg
    IMG_9105.jpeg
    2.4 MB · Views: 29
  • IMG_9095.jpeg
    IMG_9095.jpeg
    3 MB · Views: 28
It is possible. There were a wide span of coloration varieties and band formations in the different quarries from what I've read. It does appear to be a fairly fine sandstone and has some of the indicative features like banding and a bit of speckling... I'd call it a maybe but can't be certain.
 
Thank you eKretz. I forgot to mention that the last photo is at 10x magnification. It cut really easily with SIC grit on plate glass compared to almost any Arkansas. I'm using a four grit progression that came as a kit intended for rock tumblers. The finest is a white powder that is really fine. Way finer than 600 grit sand paper. The stone above is so smooth now that it makes my 10" true hard that is polished the same way seem like a fast cutting stone. It's interesting to me that the stone is really soft yet fine and doesn't cut fast.
 
What did the slurry smell like? Creamy slurry?
I don't remember anything unusual about the smell. I might change the finish on a couple sides of the stone so I will see if I notice anything. Also, after reading through this thread again I see that the stone has a few of the common orange rust spots.
 
I have a couple of old stones. The first I'm 99% sure is a Hindostan, less certain though about the second. It has far larger noticeable particles in it, and looks quite different under a microscope. (And yes... both need a bit of a clean!)

Any expert opinions appreciated!


IMG-2107.JPG


IMG-2108.JPG


IMG-2106.JPG


IMG-2105.JPG
 
Here is another odd cut 2x8” stone using the layered as the business end. Someone liked it by the way it’s dished

Those are so bizarre looking. I have not played with one yet but I suspect perform the same as layers running the other way. They are clearly layered stones but all I have used performed like a very uniform stone unless they had a hole/pock somewhere.
 
I have a couple of old stones. The first I'm 99% sure is a Hindostan, less certain though about the second. It has far larger noticeable particles in it, and looks quite different under a microscope. (And yes... both need a bit of a clean!)

Any expert opinions appreciated!


Not an expert, but your stones are clear.

First is hindostan without doubt.

Second is Dalmore Blue also almost without doubt. Nice find. I wish I had a Dalmore for every 5 Hindos I have :p
 
Not an expert, but your stones are clear.

First is hindostan without doubt.

Second is Dalmore Blue also almost without doubt. Nice find. I wish I had a Dalmore for every 5 Hindos I have :p

Oh that hadn't even crossed my mind! I've been wanting to try a DB :) :) :).

Off to give it a proper clean up and try out. Cheers!
 
There may be a slight difference in the way the different types of stone act when used in different orientations, that may be why some are used one way, some the other. The abrasive particles in some of these stones (especially the blue-gray hued ones IIRC) are apparently shaped similarly to a grain of rice, so in one orientation (Think vertical rice grain) they would be sharper and pointier than in the other (horizontal rice grain). So they'd probably cut better and faster with those narrower ends facing the working surface of the stone. I'm sure the quarrymen would've been experienced with the stone they worked and known the best ways to cut them.

Dalmores are very nice, I like them for a quick light refresh on kitchen knives. Don't use mine for razors much though, the best thing about them is the feel on the stone, they're very smooth.
 
I have a couple of old stones. The first I'm 99% sure is a Hindostan, less certain though about the second. It has far larger noticeable particles in it, and looks quite different under a microscope. (And yes... both need a bit of a clean!)

Any expert opinions appreciated!


View attachment 1301879

View attachment 1301880

View attachment 1301878

View attachment 1301877
Hindo and a DB for sure!
I have owned some great Hindos, especially the harder ones for mid range work
 
Thank you guys for the confirmed IDs there. Have given them both a proper clean up and lapping today, and the smaller one is now very obviously a Dalmore :). Even my inexperienced eye would've recognized it here:

IMG-2129.jpg


IMG-2130.jpg
 
Top Bottom