Thread: Agate / Greenstone?

If I decide to take the dive I'll let you know how it goes. I hadn't thought about how to keep it flat though. That's definitely something to think about.

Originally Posted by dadsavage

The one I'm looking at is 200/50/12mm, in contrast to the much smaller ones you see all over ebay. Do you think it has any value as a razor hone? Something to use after finishing for a final polish, or perhaps light touch-ups?

It's impossible to tell based on a description and photo, as there are all kinds of green stones with all kinds of properties that look like a lot like that - try asking someone who's been sold soapstone as jade, for example.

Your only hope really is that someone here will have tried that same stone from that same seller, otherwise you could be the one to tell us if it's any good

I ordered one the day the link was posted. Will let you guys know what's it's like when I get it...

I think I have an addiction...

I ordered one the day the link was posted. Will let you guys know what's it's like when I get it...

I think I have an addiction...

Eager to hear feedback, and hoping it works out for you.

Originally Posted by dadsavage

Eager to hear feedback, and hoping it works out for you.

Probably not the smartest decision but I'll let you know soon.

I have a small 3k synthetic ruby stone. I use it to shape heels and toes so I don't gouge up my good stones, it works very well for this. It is very hard and decently fast. It would be very difficult to lap, however. Diamond would be the only thing that would touch it and it would ruin a diamond plate.

Originally Posted by Geezer

There is a type of Jade used in Asia and this country more as a final finish honing / burnishing than sharpening on surgical and dental tools.

I had one the size of a barber hone that was colored like a Nephrite jade in looks and it was a very final finisher for carving tools. It was stolen from my belongings when I returned to the USA from Japan and my sea bag was lost for four months and any thing of value was removed..

There is a Jadeite mined in Wyoming.
~Richard

There is only one true jade and that is Jadeite. Nephrite is called jade because it looks like it but it's a totally different mineral. Wyoming is famous for Nephrite but I hadn't heard of Jadeite from there or anyplace else in the U.S in commercial sized deposits.

From Ebay a good reference as to the qualities of the two stones.:
THE-DIFFERENCE-BETWEEN-JADEITE-AND-NEPHRITE-JADE

~Richard

An update on the use of my green stone hone (the little one) I used a diamond burr on my die-grinder to file away part of the stone. I wanted to round off the edges to use it for burnishing. When I saw the dust falling away I decided to catch it. I mixed it up with sewing machine oil and pasted it onto a strip of balsa. Tried honing some dull kitchen knives, using a circle pattern, and it did a bang-up job. It was fast! Like diamond-paste. It left scratches, but the circle-pattern made the metal go kind of misty after a while and then I burnished out the mist with a nail buffer. I think I could make a lot of paste with this little ten dollar stone, but I don't know if I'd trust it on a razor.

I've got a 'gold monkey' razor on the way for honing practice which I'll try it on.

Then I might try grinding the entire stone away and mixing it with a thin layer of spack, chalk/resin (not sure yet, maybe a mixture) in a square box; pressing it down with some glass, and let it dry. Make my own two-bit hone. See how it works. I imagine it'll only be good for knives, but still. Can't hurt to try. I'm going to see if I can get a nice big diamond file or two (80 and 240 grit) so I don't wreck my burrs. I might be able to use them for lapping and making slurry as well if I get the big stone.

I got one of these a little while ago off of alibaba express (the green 200x50x25 stone). It's similar in size to the vintage 8x2 oilstones.

I have *not* used it on a razor, but originally got it out of curiosity for carving tools and chisels. For tools, I'd have to say it is the slowest stone I have seen of any type from anywhere ever. If you have the tolerance even with significant pressure to burnish with it, it will yield a polish but in general it is totally outclassed for practical purposes by a translucent arkansas stone.

It's been in my tool drawer since then. I don't know if it would improve a razor, but folks who think a chinese hone without slurry is slow would think it was like a bench grinder compared to the green stone. I have some smaller carving tools that I haven't used since I bought it, it may have some merit there like it would with dental tools.

I can't remember what it cost me, $80 or something. I'd consider it a novelty. I was hoping that it would work like a bench stone made out of biggs jasper, but it doesn't. Biggs jasper would be an interesting one to try if you could get a slab ground flat with a good smooth side edge. I've got three slabs of it, but they all have rough edges. I use them to chase the burr after sharpening tools with an oilstone, and the most expensive slab on ebay was $10, the least $1. All three work great for tools, and with a little bit of WD 40 will actually cut. I'd consider them a much better novelty purchase (but they are hard, so don't expect to get a big rough slab and wear a smooth edge onto it with a diamond hone - it'll take weeks).