Thread: Guesses on an Impulse Buy

They finally arrived. The box is in pretty good shape, so no real complaints there. The largest stone is a BBW, and based on the markings/wear on one side, I'm guessing it was at one point attached to a coticule. The Swaty is indeed a Swaty; no surprises there. The smallish stone at the bottom of the pictures is a BBW/coticule combo. I'm not yet sure what the other two are, but I'll post pics when I have a chance.

I've already lapped the back of the Swaty, and she's certainly smoother than the two line Swaty I already had. I've just about got the big BBW lapped, but she has a few "craters" left to go. The BBW/Coticule combo was quite dished on the yellow side and very rough on the blue side, but I'm working on here.

What a nice lot of stones you got! With lots like that, and iffy pictures, sometimes you eat the bear and other times the bear eats you. Have fun lapping and making them "purty!".
I am sick as a dog right now and too weak to pick up a camera, but I have acquired a very interesting pure white hone with a slate backing, with a junk razor from England. It makes a white slurry and seems quite a bit softer than my coticules. But, it puts a really fantastically sharp edge on a razor. Will post pics to see if anybody knows what it is, when I am feeling better.

I was watching that auction too. looks like you got a few good stones with that neat box.


Hey Croaker: I have seen a few soft, white stones at some antique shops by my house... I don't have any idea what they could be, but I may buy one or two and post pics soon as well. I have been holding off since I technically have all the hones I "need" right now. heh

Also, did you get your name from the Black Company series?

Here are some shots of the largest stone; she's about 9.5 in x 2 in. A very nice BBW. Based on the way the back looks, I'm pretty sure she was once glued to a huge coticule. I really wish the coticule had come with the set, but I can't really complain too much.

Any thoughts on the yellow spots in the stone? She's just about totally lapped, so the yellow spots are not dents/divots or anything like that. They also feel totally smooth to me. Pics are dry front, dry back, wet front.

Here are some shots of the combo coticule/BBW stone. The coticule side is almost totally lapped; the unlapped area is the darker yellow area bottom middle (she was pretty dished). Also, any thoughts on the two bluish areas? Those are lapped spots, and the stone is show wet.

On the BBW side, things look pretty interesting too. Sorry for the out of focus picture. The BBW parts are pretty typical, but those yellow and dark blue spots... I have no idea what those are. This side is partially lapped, so there are some gouges. But most of the darker blue spots are lapped areas.

Here's the Swaty that came with the lot. I didn't bother to lap the front, since lapping Swaty's is such a pain and I usually only use the back anyway. So the pics are of the backs of two Swaty's; on the left is the three line (three lines of text, not "Three Line Swaty") and on the right is the two line that I already had. They are shown dry, then wet.

Here are some shots of a stone I'd like some identification help with.

The front was rather dished, so it is only lapped on the left and right. The left side is dry, the right side has some water on it. On the back, the stone is mostly lapped (the unlapped parts are the upper right and lower left corners), and she's damp.

Lastly, the other stone I need help identifying. She's a pretty small prep stone, and the lapped areas are the parts on the left, right, and top-center. The slurry was quite a bit lighter than the stone; almost a pale yellow/gray.

Great score Holli!

Originally Posted by holli4pirating

Here are some shots of the largest stone; she's about 9.5 in x 2 in. A very nice BBW. Based on the way the back looks, I'm pretty sure she was once glued to a huge coticule. I really wish the coticule had come with the set, but I can't really complain too much.

Any thoughts on the yellow spots in the stone? She's just about totally lapped, so the yellow spots are not dents/divots or anything like that. They also feel totally smooth to me. Pics are dry front, dry back, wet front.

I got a BBW from Howard with the same type inclusions in it. I have no idea what they are, but they haven't given me any problems with the 5-10 razors I have honed on it thus far.

Hopefully your inclusions are as benign.