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I have wanted one of these for sometime. I have a couple Tam O Shanter stones and love them. So I find it hard to justify paying the price for another one attached to a WOA since they go for a pretty good price. Haven't found one by itself for sale that can be verified for a reasonable price. There are also some old TOS labeled as WOA since they used to label them all that at one time, but those are easy to tell the difference on. Here are the two main variants I have seen that are the two they talk about in the H&G Part 3.
The first one has the classic look. The second is more of a black slate looking and more like a black escher as I have read it.
View attachment 1032392
Far right came with a Water of Ayr label.What are you calling those four on the left? Dalmore? Have any labeled Water of Ayr by chance?
You should read this tooRead all the links and mentioned publication which was the brain-fodder I was looking for. Interesting history of these stones, quarries, and brands.
Enjoyed that PdF, thanks!You should read this too
Enjoyed that PdF, thanks!
I live within 30 miles of the location of the quarries and found it fascinating reading about the history of how they came about.
One day I'll actually go and visit the quarry.
Thanks for that ⅞. I have been looking for the right things visually it seems and you labeled WoA helps what I had in mind. Sorry I couldn’t read that label in the pic (my eyes!) but the stone looked like it.
Read all the links and mentioned publication which was the brain-fodder I was looking for. Interesting history of these stones, quarries, and brands.
I might have to print that fist logo out. I have not seen that one before anywhere
To what do we account for the variances / range of stones? Are the stones mined at the quarry / quarries diverse or is there some sort of misidentification going on historically?Bringing this back up because I've been playing around with these hones a bit more with my knives lately and that got me digging around the web and looking at a lot of images of labeled stones.
The "New Vein Ayrstone" is an unknown type... but looks like an ultra hard and fine WoA in a greenish-grey color (instead of black) and with the speckling much more prevalent. Doesn't feel a thing like the WoA or Tam in use, but not sure how much of that is due to its hardness or size (it's tiny).
The White Tam is hard and fast and I love it with knives. I've had grey tams that behaved like it but were softer and less fine. Not sure if thats related to color or just coincidence.
The Black stone I call a Black Tam is what is labeled as WOA everywhere else. It's kind of greasy feeling, smoother to the tongue than the Tam but gritty under a tooth and a lot softer. I'll shave off it later this week, but I highly doubt I'd consider it a decent razor finisher... could surprise me though, it HHT's well enough.
Tam O's are hard to gouge with a knife, the WoA (black stone) gouges easily.
Hardness?
New Vein > Tam > WoA
Fineness ?
New Vein > WoA > Tam
Slurry darkness?
WoA > New Vein > Tam
Some fresh pics after lapping all three.