Mystery hones... Let's see what you have

[SliceOfLife]

Looks and feels like a piece of granite. Shaves very well.

 

[SliceOfLife]

I know someone I can ask about that almond. I will see what he says. He doesn't do the forum thing

Thanks. I'd appreciate knowing more about it.

This little guy acts just like a Thuri or PDSO, but is deep purple.

 

[SliceOfLife]

Maybe one of the french stones? Very weird little box with drillholes in the corners.

 

[SliceOfLife]

Not 100% sure this isn't a synthetic. Hones like an Apache Strata... looks somewhere between one of those and a carborundum. Stone is very hard and barely feels like it's cutting, but leaves a SUPERB edge. I don't hang onto many stones this tiny, but this one I did.

 

[kcb5150]

That red paddle I don't think is belgian. The thing people forget is this country had a lot of novaculite hones that were very briefly exploited years ago so it may just be something strange that way.

 

[SliceOfLife]

Perfect match in surface appearance to a Dark Blue Thuri... size and sawmarks don't match.

 

[kcb5150]

The weird randoms are sometimes magic. It's frustrating when you have a tiny one that way.

 

[SliceOfLife]

That red paddle I don't think is belgian. The thing people forget is this country had a lot of novaculite hones that were very briefly exploited years ago so it may just be something strange that way.

If memory serves the seller was in the EU (France I wanna say)... so while it may be US in origin, I think it's less likely.


Your garden variety dark blue slate... sawmarks about the only clue.

 

[SliceOfLife]

Imagine a Les Latneuses that was absolutely uniform. No swirls, no gaps, no cracks. That's this rock. No idea what it is, but basically interchangeable with Les Lat.

 

[kcb5150]

No, I remember that listing. California. It was a long time ago and I think rolled over 200. He had a few other really rustic looking ones direct mounted into wood not the same material

 

[SliceOfLife]

Ultra-soft slate. Green on one side, Purple the other. Sawmarks aren't much help.

 

[kcb5150]

That may be a vt. They wildly vary in hardness

 

[SliceOfLife]

No, I remember that listing. California. It was a long time ago and I think rolled over 200. He had a few other really rustic looking ones direct mounted into wood not the same material

Ahh, good memory, I think you're right about CA, now that you mention it.


Suspected Jnat (mostly based on chisel marks... believe the seller was actually EU if memory serves). Looks like a soft Slate stone... Hones like an insanely hard Jnat. Leaves an incredible edge.

 

[kcb5150]

Hard to lap?

 

[SliceOfLife]

That may be a vt. They wildly vary in hardness

Yeah, that's my best guess on that one as well.


Speckled Greenie. Looks like a Lynn Idwal... but it's one of the softest slates I own.

 

[SliceOfLife]

Hard to lap?

Basically impossible to lap. Arkansas lap easier.

Dark slate here. Not much else to say. Sawmarks are no help.

 

[SliceOfLife]

Another Dark slate, skin on the back maybe the only clue.

 

[SliceOfLife]

Dark slate with the band running through it.

 

[kcb5150]

This came from down by an area with a big navy presence so my best guess is jnat. Look, smell when wet, etc all fit in.

 

[SliceOfLife]

Got this guy last week. Looks like a Thuri (and Thuri dimensions), Patterned like a Les Lat. Hard as a hard Coti, but feels like one of the soft synthetic coti's under the razor. Soaks up water like they do too... probably one of the thirstiest stones I've seen excepting a few synthetics. Came mounted in a box with a bunch of cement filling in the broken out chunk. I cleaned it off and reglued some of the cement in place to keep it stable. Shave is absolutely top notch.