This all sounds logical. Would they make scythe stones in a 800(est.) grit rating? I’d have thought garden/farm implements topped out at about 400 grit to sharpen.
Mystery hones... Let's see what you have
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I have one that looks similar that's I'd put at 1k if it's lapped smooth.
I didn't realize a lot of them were quarried here. I've got a couple pieces of scythe stone in in the process of flattening the tops(leaving sides rounded for a tobacco knife). I had no idea about their names or providence but like many of the sandstone grind stones they could be from anywhere.
Yep, certainly you'd want a pretty low grit stone for that kind of application. But there simply aren't that many particularly suitable types of natural rock for it. The main problem is that for grinding work a stone wants to be quite hard, and most natural stones are based on silica abrasive, which tends to get finer as the stone gets harder (not always mind, stuff like granite would buck that trend). Also silica is only a little harder than hardened steel, so in a hard non-friable stone it will burnish quickly.
All of that is why natural Aluminium Oxide abrasives - Corundum/Emery - were imported extensively into the US during the c.19th, from India and Naxos particularly. And why Norton's synthesis of artificial Corundum, which they called 'Alundum' in the 1880s and the production of India Stones were a final death-knell for the quarrying of scythestones in the US.
Put simply - coarse natural stones just aren't as good as coarse synthetic stones.
What they are however is a very interesting bit of history, and I think quite a cool thing to have found!
Yep, there was a reasonably significant scythe/grindstone industry in the US up until about the middle of the c.19th, and mostly as I said - up in the NE. Which basically got wiped out first by Washitas, and subsequently comprehensively by synthetic AlOx and SiC stones. It is possible I think though that some older coarse stones found in the US may be of European origin...
Once some kind infrastructure in terms of towns and roads were set up then s America actually needed to import very little from the old world. Trade routes were heavily one-way, ships would probably go pretty much empty to America just to bring things back. But what you do need on an empty ship is ballast, so the hulls were often just filled with sand, rubbish and slag at Liverpool or Belfast which was then chucked away on arrival.
Some more useful or sellable things that could also have been taken for weight would probably have been; barrels of wine, gin, and perhaps scythe/grind/millstones(?)
Though as you say - it'd be almost impossible to say for certain now where a coarser, older stone might be from. These types of rock are common all over the world, and they're basically the same wherever you find them.
Thats awesome. I hope to have a collection like yours one day. I dont even have a natural stone yet. But its on the neverending list of things ill get to someday
Update I forgot to do. The barber hone was stamped "Ralph's" in guessing American hone Co. Branded some for the store. It's a really good little hone, I haven't put a razor on it(probably won't) but it did a really nice job on a small knife I use for trimming meat.
Recent acquisition that's a complete mystery to me first picture is just post lapping, 3rd and 4th show long slightly darker lines running lengthwise through the entire stone, there's a fair amount of fine sparkly material in the stone that didn't photograph well
8L inch and a half wide on every side
8L inch and a half wide on every side
+1 for Hindo
Hondo cut across the layers. I believe(from my own assumptions and seeing box mounts) the one cut like that were turned sideways and the skinny side was used as the honing surface so it dull goes with the layer/ grain but you have more done to use. I've got washitas that it's obvious they were used that way and a lot of times they're in those "bookcase" hollowed out boxes. Very nice find. I tried them for the first time recently and I really like the one I have, and it wasn't crazy expensive or completely saturated with rancid oil. It was completely clean like yours. I like it a lot on knives(all I've tried).
How does it feel under you fingernail? Like a fingernail file or smoother like the unglazed ring on the bottom of a coffee cup? Mine fells like ceramic(cup) and I'm curious as to what it'll top out a razor at. It drinks mineral oil like a coarse India.
I would say it's very smooth, not near a nail file at all maybe a bit smoother than the coffee cup bottom rim..... it was very black when I received it. $8 +9 shipping from the bay came with another that was dished out like crazy and cracked pretty much just dropped a low bid and lucked out... curious to see what was under the gunk.
It might be a razor stone, a pre-finisher at least. I think that surface prep can affect these but I haven't played with mine too much yet other than removing a roll for a knife real quick before I hit the coticules.
Thank you all for the info on my last couple posts.... I'm just a total newbie to vintage natural stones so I'll likely ask on more obvious stones in the future. But I'm learning, and after you guys get me a solid id I rabbit hole and learn more about x stone. The hindostan threads here are definitely informative.
I've enjoyed straying from my synthetics that I've used for years and seeing the differences in performance and the different edges that these things produce. Plus they've all got character of their own.... ones that don't cut it for razors have found a home amongst my knife stones .
Anyhow I appreciate all the info that you lot have provided, thanks again.
Anyhow I appreciate all the info that you lot have provided, thanks again.
With natural stone you got to take a little more time to learn each individual stone but they all have their own personalities and each are good at different things. In my opinion this give you more choice for picking specific edge types for different jobs. That variation isn't always too important when finishing razors but it sure comes in handy with tools, knifes and larger bladed implements.
I'm not the buyer, but this stone sold recently online. I have NO idea what it is, and it's killing me! I looked and looked and looked and passed on the auction because I couldn't ID it. Have you guys got any ideas?
Oh that's definitely a Cutler's Green. They are all over the place.
No clue. It's a pretty stone.
No clue. It's a pretty stone.
Color/ pattern looks like a Schwedenstein but it could be a cool old llyn idwal or charnley.
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It was way greener when I color corrected the photo using the coke can in one of the pics can as the color reference point
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