Thread: Life on The Edge, What Is The Same, What Is Different

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

I don't think its as easy as it sounds.

As I recall the main hone producer in the U.S (I don't recall the name, they were located in Iowa) produced most of the hones sold under all kinds of razor manufacturer names and there was one woman there who mixed the ingredients and only she had the recipe and when she died suddenly they were never able to replicate the quality of the hones even though they knew the raw ingredients.

I think those were the frictionite 00 or XX

The Lee book is great. At the time of its publication, Japanese water stones were just beginning to come onto the Western scene. The theory and experiments presented in the book are still a great starting point, and it should be required reading for all sharpeners to the first few chapters and the appendices of the book.

(If enough people- 10 minimum -want to get together for the book, PM me, and I'll do a group buy from the publisher.)

From The Woodwright's Companion1983) "In his Dictionary of Tools, R.A. Salaman relates the story of a Brixton ironmonger who, when he could not convince carpenters of the value of the new artificial oilstones(This was in 1901), would throw one against the wall. As they would not break, he would sometimes make a sale."

Shapton has the gray and white glass bottoms. On White Steel, the gray closely mimics the finish appearance of fine J's, while the white stone cuts A2, VG10 with greater speed/ per HMS. Naniwa Chosera; the latest and greatest nat-mimic/ per adverts.

In some places smiths would match/try to match their metalurgy with the naturally occuring stones. Today, new synthetic hones are needed to keep pace with the next best steel.......

Originally Posted by kevint

From The Woodwright's Companion1983) "In his Dictionary of Tools, R.A. Salaman relates the story of a Brixton ironmonger who, when he could not convince carpenters of the value of the new artificial oilstones(This was in 1901), would throw one against the wall. As they would not break, he would sometimes make a sale."

Shapton has the gray and white glass bottoms. On White Steel, the gray closely mimics the finish appearance of fine J's, while the white stone cuts A2, VG10 with greater speed/ per HMS. Naniwa Chosera; the latest and greatest nat-mimic/ per adverts.

In some places smiths would match/try to match their metalurgy with the naturally occuring stones. Today, new synthetic hones are needed to keep pace with the next best steel.......

Ah Kevin,
And were those artificial oilstones any better because some poor soul of that time felt that if they are shock proof they must be good. Something tells me you are the kind of sharpener that will use an egg if it gave you the results. I like to think I would be too.On the other hand it does point out that the new tech of 1901 was not so easily recieved and paradigmes had to be broken along with lots of hones
Kevin also continus with Metalurgy is spawning the new technogies in sharpening. Now that is huge. Air hardened steels, new alloys and the High speed steels, old hones failing as they load up unable to cast off the gummy swarf. New metals act like a non Newtonian fluid on the hone is this stuff silly putty or steel? That would get new products out in a hurry, so the question is what are they and what can they do for us.
(side note, I wonder how many of them alloys will make it into razors
And i know there is already pleanty of stuff here for me to chew on down at The Forge for later)
Mike

Originally Posted by jendeindustries

I think those were the frictionite 00 or XX

The Lee book is great. At the time of its publication, Japanese water stones were just beginning to come onto the Western scene. The theory and experiments presented in the book are still a great starting point, and it should be required reading for all sharpeners to the first few chapters and the appendices of the book.

(If enough people- 10 minimum -want to get together for the book, PM me, and I'll do a group buy from the publisher.)

Lee's tome is a great read if you don't already have it. It is one of those books that find it's way to the area not too far from my den where all my deep thoughts come from.

Originally Posted by jendeindustries

I think those were the frictionite 00 or XX

The info on the recipe mystery got me thinking back to an email conversation I had with Tilly back in 2006 , prior to her actually selling frictionite to the general folks she kindly sent me one to try ..
here it is :-)

Sometimes I think
when they made these hones the ingrediants varied because they did not
have anything measured out...I have hones that are exactly the same
hone,and are totally different colors...I have a box of seconds called
No. 24 frictionites....Much like the Lithide(in fact I think the lithide
is one of the frictionites)....Just my thoughts..

interesting :-)


kind regards Garry