The nice old box thread

[cotedupy]

I had a little look thought my pile of old boxes earlier and found a particularly nice one that was a perfect fit a Washita I was about to use. And certainly much nicer than the holder it was in before. Haven't cleaned the box up yet, but it won't need much more from here tbh:

That's one of the two best Washitas I've ever had - it's absolutely glorious. And the other best Washita I've ever had is its sister stone:

Funnily enough these were found at opposite ends of the earth within about about a month of each other, and cost almost exactly the same; £10 in a market in Belfast, and (equivalent of) £10.50 in a salvage yard in South Australia.

 

[cotedupy]

Tidied up the holder that a recent Idwal came in. Before and afters:

Believe it or not the pea-green leaf in the final picture was not staged, it blew in one second, and was gone the next. As is their wont.

It is what Cartier-Bresson termed "L'instant decisif". Here the juxtaposition of the season's passing with the constancy of the Llyn Idwal rock, serves as metaphor for the temporal nature of all human endeavour. That which we have built will come to nought. Nothing beside remains.

 

[Legion]

Tidied up the holder that a recent Idwal came in. Before and afters:

View attachment 1427591

View attachment 1427592

View attachment 1427593


Believe it or not the pea-green leaf in the final picture was not staged, it blew in one second, and was gone the next. As is their wont.

It is what Cartier-Bresson termed "L'instant decisif". Here the juxtaposition of the season's passing with the constancy of the Llyn Idwal rock, serves as metaphor for the temporal nature of all human endeavour. That which we have built will come to nought. Nothing beside remains.

now we are waxing lyrical about the decisive moment? I feel like I am a student again.

 

[cotedupy]

now we are waxing lyrical about the decisive moment? I feel like I am a student again.

Ha, indeed! That was exactly the kind of hyperbolic twaddle that got me through my degree too, albeit applied to literature rather than photography.

Pretty box/stone combo though eh!

 

[Empire straights]

I had a little look thought my pile of old boxes earlier and found a particularly nice one that was a perfect fit a Washita I was about to use. And certainly much nicer than the holder it was in before. Haven't cleaned the box up yet, but it won't need much more from here tbh:

View attachment 1414515

View attachment 1414514


That's one of the two best Washitas I've ever had - it's absolutely glorious. And the other best Washita I've ever had is its sister stone:


View attachment 1414516


Funnily enough these were found at opposite ends of the earth within about about a month of each other, and cost almost exactly the same; £10 in a market in Belfast, and (equivalent of) £10.50 in a salvage yard in South Australia.

Mine with the semi- translucent, rust colored spots are my favorites too. Ones a little faster but the other is fine enough to shave off of comfortably with a light touch and food grade mineral oil.

 

[cotedupy]

This is the only SiC stone I've ever *intentionally* bought on ebay:

And though SiC combis are great, and at ten quid it was still considerably cheaper than the same thing new, I didn't buy it for the stone. I bought it because of this:

I'd not seen one of these before, but that's a very cool combi box, allowing you to open it from both sides without having to take the stone out and turn around:

I didn't really know what I was going to do with the box though, just that I wanted it. It was sold as an 8x2, and who's ever made a fancy (non SiC / AlOx) 8x2 combi?

Except when I went to look at it the other day... it wasn't an 8x2. It was a 7x2. And someone has of course made a fancy 7x2 combi:

So now I have the mega-awesome combi box to house the single greatest whetstone ever made, without scuffing up the original carboard one if I take it about the place.

 

[Empire straights]

This is the only SiC stone I've ever *intentionally* bought on ebay:

View attachment 1448490


And though SiC combis are great, and at ten quid it was still considerably cheaper than the same thing new, I didn't buy it for the stone. I bought it because of this:

View attachment 1448492


I'd not seen one of these before, but that's a very cool combi box, allowing you to open it from both sides without having to take the stone out and turn around:

View attachment 1448491


I didn't really know what I was going to do with the box though, just that I wanted it. It was sold as an 8x2, and who's ever made a fancy (non SiC / AlOx) 8x2 combi?

Except when I went to look at it the other day... it wasn't an 8x2. It was a 7x2. And someone has of course made a fancy 7x2 combi:

View attachment 1448496


So now I have the mega-awesome combi box to house the single greatest whetstone ever made, without scuffing up the original carboard one if I take it about the place.

I need to buy a coarse india to glue to one of my Washitas. I've given up on finding one in the wild so I've decided I should probably make one. That, a dual scotch hone and a coticule layer glued to a thuri are all combos I want to find/ build. I think you could do crazy amount of different sharpening with those 3 combos.

 

[Empire straights]

I really liked the boxes these two came in. I need to find a place for small, old brass tension latches for my thuris, latch broken on both of mine. I've been trying to devise off I should put a hone and latch on this washita box.

 

[Empire straights]

Does anyone know where to find good replacement latches for the "genuine thuringian water hone" boxes? I've got 2 with broken latches and I'm concerned my stones are going to get broken.

 

[Legion]

Does anyone know where to find good replacement latches for the "genuine thuringian water hone" boxes? I've got 2 with broken latches and I'm concerned my stones are going to get broken.

Aliexpress?

2.42US $ 10% OFF|4/6/12pcs Decor Jewelry Chest Box Suitcase Case Leather Bag Lock Toggle Antique Brass Golden Silvery Hasp Latch With Screws|Figurines & Miniatures| - AliExpress

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

www.aliexpress.com

 

[Empire straights]

Aliexpress?

2.42US $ 10% OFF|4/6/12pcs Decor Jewelry Chest Box Suitcase Case Leather Bag Lock Toggle Antique Brass Golden Silvery Hasp Latch With Screws|Figurines & Miniatures| - AliExpress

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

www.aliexpress.com

I may go that route, I've almost ordered some, but I think first I'll look for some purveyor of antique wares or someone who hand makes pieces. I may even try my hand a making them, I've got experience with building/ machining parts in a pinch.

 

[cotedupy]

Does anyone know where to find good replacement latches for the "genuine thuringian water hone" boxes? I've got 2 with broken latches and I'm concerned my stones are going to get broken.

They’re pretty pants those latches eh!

I’ve tended to just fix them myself with a small screwdriver or something, to kinda bend the appropriate bits back into shape.

 

[Empire straights]

They’re pretty pants those latches eh!

I’ve tended to just fix them myself with a small screwdriver or something, to kinda bend the appropriate bits back into shape.

One came with the brass tab broken off and the next was cracked and has since snapped off due to the frequent use my green thuri gets. I really love that rock, I need to find super soft yellow one.

 

[Tomo]

It’s another cold and rainy day here in Melbourne. With the family up in the country there was only one thing to do. Work on my straight razor bug out kit. If Covid has taught me anything it is the importance of having a bug out location. So I’ve been putting together a few things to take up to the country on a permanent basis.

So with nothing more than an old two layer pencil case, a few scapes of foam, some non slip matting and double sided tape I set to work. I chose a previously unboxed Coticule and Trans Ark for my bug out stones. I should be able to get most things done with those.

It might not be the poshest box but I think it turned out rather well. Everything is nice, secure and protected. No rattles. Neat and compact.

 

[Legion]

It’s another cold and rainy day here in Melbourne. With the family up in the country there was only one thing to do. Work on my straight razor bug out kit. If Covid has taught me anything it is the importance of having a bug out location. So I’ve been putting together a few things to take up to the country on a permanent basis.

So with nothing more than an old two layer pencil case, a few scapes of foam, some non slip matting and double sided tape I set to work. I chose a previously unboxed Coticule and Trans Ark for my bug out stones. I should be able to get most things done with those.

It might not be the poshest box but I think it turned out rather well. Everything is nice, secure and protected. No rattles. Neat and compact.

View attachment 1455452

View attachment 1455453

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Nice. You might want to add a slurry stone for the coti, though the Ark is probably hard enough to raise a slurry in a pinch?

 

[Empire straights]

Nice. You might want to add a slurry stone for the coti, though the Ark is probably hard enough to raise a slurry in a pinch?

I've used arks to raise slurries on coticules before. I use one occasionally on my green thuri.

 

[Legion]

Got this one with my “new” Washita.

 

[Empire straights]

This isn't really a box but a bar on a stone that I suspect is very old. The base has two grooves cut across the bottom(across the width) which appears to either have leather stoppers in both with one covered in raw latex that had been drying for a very long time or a leather in one and a raw latex stopper in the other that had since dried hard. I used to grow rubber trees and harvest their latex so I'm pretty certain of the materials. My question is, what time period would it be common to find a UK stone, with raw rubber as an anti-slip, in a stone that very well might have been hand cut? I know @cotedupy, @Legion, @timwic (and many others) know lots about UK stones, much more than me. I know I enjoy the ones I've got immensely and I'd like to nail down an ID and time period for this one. My kids have a huge interest in sharpening and is like to secure enough unicorn stones to last multiple lifetimes, my son wants to start a sharpening business. I try to grab heirloom quality stones playing rock roulette but they don't always come with a label...I care a lot more about performance but it's be nice to get back you'd of Rockstar stones. May the good Lord help me and keep me from the temptation of jnats, I'll have to start an import business to keep from losing everything...

 

[Legion]

This isn't really a box but a bar on a stone that I suspect is very old. The base has two grooves cut across the bottom(across the width) which appears to either have leather stoppers in both with one covered in raw latex that had been drying for a very long time or a leather in one and a raw latex stopper in the other that had since dried hard. I used to grow rubber trees and harvest their latex so I'm pretty certain of the materials. My question is, what time period would it be common to find a UK stone, with raw rubber as an anti-slip, in a stone that very well might have been hand cut? I know @cotedupy, @Legion, @timwic (and many others) know lots about UK stones, much more than me. I know I enjoy the ones I've got immensely and I'd like to nail down an ID and time period for this one. My kids have a huge interest in sharpening and is like to secure enough unicorn stones to last multiple lifetimes, my son wants to start a sharpening business. I try to grab heirloom quality stones playing rock roulette but they don't always come with a label...I care a lot more about performance but it's be nice to get back you'd of Rockstar stones. May the good Lord help me and keep me from the temptation of jnats, I'll have to start an import business to keep from losing everything...

Pics?

 

[Empire straights]

Pics?

The pics of the stoppers are ok but the others trash, my apologies.

This is the leather side. It's thick and porous/ flaky. No raw rubber.


These side views are garbage but I put them in anyway..


This is the stopper that feels like leather with a raw rubber "smudge" heated and smeared across it, id guess with a pointer but what do I know.



Id love to redo the tons of bases I've got but I'm terrified of running them if I start sanding them... id like to do this one with original tools/oils/latex(kinda like Japan's laws on traditional tea houses) but I got to run down the info..I have a love for lost knowledge/art forms/trades so I tend to have an unnatural draw to that kind of thing for some reason. I'm glad I'm not the only young(ish) guy who wholly revolts against the modern world.