Who has a Fiddich River stone ?
- Thread starter Marcel1818
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I have one
To my eye this looks perhaps more like a Glanrafon. Though I could be wrong. @rideon66 would be able to give a better verdict…
(A gorgeous stone whichever way. And if you’re just interested in razor finishers - a GR is likely to finish a little finer than a FR.)
Funny I wrote this earlier, but apparently forgot to hit post.
I’ve hade two traded one to the UK then he got two and one went to Wid. I need to ask how you know yours is a Fiddich and not a Glanrafon?
I am actually curious about yours as I see some features I would usually associate with the Glanafon.
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- #6
I have read it, but still there are only about 3 stones showed
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- #7
Got them from a seller from the UK where I buy quite regular some special stones a knowledge guy.
Besides that I have had around 7 Glanrafons (kept 2) and they look really different in color. This stone looks much more yellow (the pictures above doesn’t represent the colors correctly).
The stone feels different (but still need to hone on it) The slurry is much more yellow.
To compare I made a picture with Glanrafon left and the other right
Attachments
Certainly in these second pictures; both the colour and the thickness of the slurry do look a lot more like ‘Fiddich River’.
[I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again… I firmly believe that the Nantlle Valley, Glanrafon, and Fiddidch River stones are all quite closely related. Each of them is distinct for sure. But I’d lay a dollar to a dime that they’re all from Dyffryn Nantlle.]
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I prefer my Nantlle valley to my Glanrafon. I didn’t think they are the same. The Glanrafon has no range, it’s pretty useless in my opinion. It’s one of those stones that you can do without. I guess if you was a synthetic guy who goes up to 15k-30k then jumps to the Glanrafon with oil, you may be able to talk yourself into believing it’s worth a crap. I ain’t that cat.
My Nantlle Vally on the or other hand is a well rounded hone. I love mine, great edge, enjoyable feedback. I have been trying to acquire a larger one, I just can’t get the seller to return my messages. I guess I should be happy with what I have.
If the Fiddich stone is anything like the Glanrafon, I guess I should quit hunting one now. I rather do without then have a second useless trout line weight.
My Nantlle Vally on the or other hand is a well rounded hone. I love mine, great edge, enjoyable feedback. I have been trying to acquire a larger one, I just can’t get the seller to return my messages. I guess I should be happy with what I have.
If the Fiddich stone is anything like the Glanrafon, I guess I should quit hunting one now. I rather do without then have a second useless trout line weight.
First if you have Glanrafon to compare in hand then you know they definitely feel different. That was going to be my first question was the feel of the stone in hand. Glanrafon almost feel like a synthetic like my shapton 1.5k, but finish nicely like a CF.
The Fiddich feels much more natural like a coticule/thuri/Jnat vibe. Plus Glanrafon are almost impossible to slurry without a diamond plate or a lot of time, while the Fiddich is much easier to slurry. Both slurry can be similar when thick, but yeah color on the Glanrafon is usually much more blue/green. Now some of each can look a bit like the other though. Seen a few Glan with that more tan color. I have heard that type is not as fine and seen a Fiddich with more green/blue.
The thing on yours that interested me though was the red I see in the first pics. I usually would guess more towards the Glanrafon from pics with that in it. Though I know the red a yellow can be in both, but I have only noticed it in Fiddich under a loupe.
Your second pics give more of the Fiddich vibe for sure with that slurry too.
So not all of these are mine and not all of these are mine anymore either, but three of these are Fiddich the rest are Glanrafon some repeats in the pics.
One of the stones in Pic with 4 is 3 Glanrafon and one Fiddich which all belong to Bushdoctor is a Labeled Glanrafon too. Another tell that Bushdoctor mentioned to me was those little dots. Seem to be more in the Glanrafon stones.
The Glanrafon and the Fiddich are very different stones. They just look similar in pics.
I prefer the Fiddich, but I like the Glanrafons, just need to treat it like the label says. It is a Charely forest oilstone. Not Charnely, but Charely.
Also my Lyln Nantlle is A big blue/green 10" x 2.75" old boxed with a name I can't read on the end of the box. Nice stone too.
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- #11
Beautiful stones by the way you all show here.
True when knowing and having a Glanrafon it is easy to tell that it are different stones. Clearly when having in hand. A picture of a single stone can be difficult but together it is better to compare. Also we have seen only a few stones. Who knows different this type can be.
True when knowing and having a Glanrafon it is easy to tell that it are different stones. Clearly when having in hand. A picture of a single stone can be difficult but together it is better to compare. Also we have seen only a few stones. Who knows different this type can be.
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- #12
I don’t have a FR yet. But my GR is as hard as woodpecker lips.
Yeah, I think from your second and third lot of pics it’s fairly clear that the new one is indeed a Fiddich. Just that the colour balance in the OP was a little off (at least on my phone).
As Tom said, and you’ve discovered; when you’ve got them both in hand then the differences are fairly obvious. In particular the nature of the slurry is very different, and it’s exactly how you describe.
If you want complete confirmation (though I don’t think it’s necessary), then a water displacement SG test will tell you. FRs are about 2.74 - 2.75. GRs are about 2.78 - 2.79
Haha. Sorry - I will get back to you soon, I promise. As you may have noticed, I’ve not been on these forums in the last few weeks, and I get a lot more messages on KKF than here, so that takes up some time too.
I’m glad to hear you like the Nantlle Valley though
. And I’d be inclined to agree; for me they’re marginally better for razors than the Glanrafons I’ve had / used. And yeah they’re definitely not the same, because we know where the quarries are: About eight miles apart, at either end of the Nantlle Valley. The NV stone from the westernmost end, the GR stone from the easternmost.
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