Unusual Escher label

Here's a stone with an unusual-looking Escher label for sale. Actually, the stone looks perfectly normal for an Escher, but if you look at the photos of the label, you can see that only about half of the normal label is present, but that part of the label seems to cover the entire length of the back of the stone. I'm probably not describing it well, so take a look at the photo below or the auction link.

I'm not the world's expert on these, but have you ever seen a situation like this -- where the size of the label looks to be so mismatched to the size of the stone it is glued to? Just curious.

NATURAL GERMAN"ESCHER"WHETSTONE RAZOR HONE!ULTRA FINE!! - eBay (item 110570030516 end time Aug-11-10 06:26:30 PDT)

just stone has been cut half. that is why seems like unusual.
When i saw at first i got confused too.

Absolutely not. They are, AFAIK always the same width as the stone. I've seen them run a bit long where they fold over the ends but never more than an eighth or so wider where they fold over the sides. Never where they don't reach the edges. Just IME. This seller has listed either the same stone or a similar one in the past. At least a seller from Greece has. Here is a post with many examples of Escher back labels seen IME.

The measurements of the stone are listed as 4 3/4 by 2 1/4, so if this represents about half of the stone, then that would make the original 8-10 inches long, which is possible. I doubt that anyone would deliberately cut a stone this large, but maybe the stone snapped in two when dropped at some point? It's a shame that the seller doesn't have more details in the listing. I'm happy to report that I have exactly zero experience what happens when you drop an Escher on the bathroom floor, but in the history of razor sharpening, I'm sure it's happened at least once!

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Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Never where they don't reach the edges. Just IME.

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Jimmy older ones is similar to this label. they don't reach the edges.
Specially if you check droeschers Many of them looks like this stone.
if you check this stone you will see there is more label then stone on left side of the stone. label just folding together.

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Originally Posted by hi_bud_gl

Jimmy older ones is similar to this label. they don't reach the edges.
Specially if you check droeschers Many of them looks like this stone.
if you check this stone you will see there is more label then stone on left side of the stone. label just folding together.

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You may be right Sham, I'm only going by what I've seen firsthand but I certainly haven't seen them all. The length isn't what bothers me. It is the width of the label being much narrower than the stone.

Jimmy, doesn't the length of the label mean that the stone has been cut or shortened in some way? I mean, it looks like only about half of the label, lengthwise, is covering nearly the entire length of the stone.

I wasn't focused on the width before, but I do see what you mean about the mismatch. But since these stones are cut from natural rock, wouldn't you always have a few stones at the end of the production that received labels with the wrong width?

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Originally Posted by JeffE

Jimmy, doesn't the length of the label mean that the stone has been cut or shortened in some way? I mean, it looks like only about half of the label, lengthwise, is covering nearly the entire length of the stone.

I wasn't focused on the width before, but I do see what you mean about the mismatch. But since these stones are cut from natural rock, wouldn't you always have a few stones at the end of the production that received labels with the wrong width?

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I don't know about the length. The stone could have been broken as you previously noted. The width, OTOH, was consistent IME. They were natural stones but unlike the J-nats they were cut and finished to standardized lengths and widths.

Here are my thoughts... who knows if they are right :D Any escher experts know if 7 3/8" is a standard length?

I'm at work right now so I can't check. Off the top of my head I know that I have some that are 7x1 1/2 and others that are 8x2 IIRC. I also have a couple that are 6x2 and one 5x2 1x2.

check this one out. it is on classified.
Stefan is the seller .

Escher - Straight Razor Place Classifieds

I am far from a hone expert. If I were to purchase an Escher off EBay, and my HAD is not that bad yet, I would want one with a full label with no question about it's authenticity. After all, you are paying for the label to verify what hone you are purchasing. W/o a label it's just another Thuringian, if that. I'm not accusing this seller of anything, I don't know him/her from Adam. At the price Escher's are selling for on EBay it is not a leap of faith I wouldn't take.

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Originally Posted by Joed

I am far from a hone expert. If I were to purchase an Escher off EBay, and my HAD is not that bad yet, I would want one with a full label with no question about it's authenticity. After all, you are paying for the label to verify what hone you are purchasing. W/o a label it's just another Thuringian, if that. I'm not accusing this seller of anything, I don't know him/her from Adam. At the price Escher's are selling for on EBay it is not a leap of faith I wouldn't take.

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Amen!!!!!!! Although I have little doubt that it is an "Escher", without proper papers, its a mutt and not a pedigree, it is obvious that both the stone and label have been altered. I wouldn't mind having the stone, but for the money expected I have some expectations as well, a whole stone with a whole label!

Actually, for the size, the opening bid price isn't too bad of a risk ($220). Of course, if it goes much higher, it's hard to justify buying a stone that raises questions like this. Anyway, I appreciate the comments from the group and will be watching this auction with interest.

In your pic it appears that the left side of the hone is uneven, as tho it has been dropped and broken. I have a similar one, shorter than usual, wider than usual, and uneven on one end.

Just my $.02,:)