Identifying stone help

[silvertnge]

Got this stone from an auction, stone was pretty grimey but was supposed to be smooth according to the seller. Bought it, lapped it and out comes this beautiful glossy surface that almost looks like a thin layer of glass on a crude stone. But it feels super smooth, pretty much the same as my trans Ark. Does not have much of a smell, faintly muddy when lapping.

Any ideas what It might be? Just lapped it and have yet to try it out but it sure feels like a finisher.

 

[sexy beast]

This is such a long shot but from my observation for what it's worth. My guess would be some type of slate or some type of novaculite. The saw marks may tell the time it was processed.

 

[Wid]

What country was it bought?

 

[cotedupy]

It's a schist. Though you almost certainly won't ever know exactly what. I'd be quite surprised if it was a good razor finisher, but you never know!

The reason it feels smooth after lapping is because schists are relatively hard (you can lap or polish granite until it feels like marble, but it's still coarse in terms of grain size). The 'glossy' surface like glass is because schists are quite micaceous.

Be interesting to see how it goes in use...

 

[silvertnge]

What country was it bought?

Sweden!

 

[silvertnge]

It's a schist. Though you almost certainly won't ever know exactly what. I'd be quite surprised if it was a good razor finisher, but you never know!

The reason it feels smooth after lapping is because schists are relatively hard (you can lap or polish granite until it feels like marble, but it's still coarse in terms of grain size). The 'glossy' surface like glass is because schists are quite micaceous.

Be interesting to see how it goes in use...

Makes sense! I guess I just have to try it out (=

 

[cotedupy]

Sweden!

Huh, interesting! There was me saying you probably wouldn’t ever be able to really have any idea exactly what it was, but your answer to @Wid ‘s question is significant…

Pretty much all traditional Scandinavian and Finnish whetstones are Schists and Phyllites (the two are extremely closely related). And given the look of it, and where it’s come from: I would say it’s likely to be a Wastikivi stone, or at least something very similar.

 

[rideon66]

Yup I agree with @cotedupy on that.
My axe stone. Although I think it is this one which Gransfors Bruk make a natural puck from at one time. This person used to work there.
Kalthoff Swedish Shale Natural Whetstone – Bernal Cutlery - https://bernalcutlery.com/products/kalthoff-swedish-shale-natural-whetstone

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[Multum in parvo]

Current production Wastikivi knife stone for comparison.

 

[Legion]

I wonder if I've ever past one of these over because I thought it was a SIC stone.

 

[cotedupy]

I wonder if I've ever past one of these over because I thought it was a SIC stone.

It's very unlikely, these aren't common stones at all. They'd be much more well known now than historically because of G&H and because they're still available to buy new.

But they wouldn't have been exported to Aus back in the day.

 

[Koop]

My modern Wâstikivi:

Coarse, fast cutting. I definitely would not consider it a finisher.

 

[rideon66]

I still think it is the Swedish shale, quarried and sawn in Loos in northern Hälsingland.
Both this and the Wastikivi are more axe and knive type stones.

 

[cotedupy]

Just a note for everybody...

Both the Watikivi and Loos stones have a quite a wide range of different 'grits' they can be. They're not slates or novaculites; they can vary quite a bit.