Thread: I Found It Over There

Right should be heading to chanley forest today.

I'm taking a scout leader, and a guy that works at an historical site. We should be able to wangle a way into one of the quarry's I'm hoping for the back garden. Also taking camera's and a few tools.

Should be able to pull the Iron age sword hone angle from one guy, and the educational purposes for the other. At the house quarry.

What I have observed about natural stones in countries who quarry and sell them is, when a country is famous for its woodworkers like Japan, or/and has a heavy steel industry like UK. Those two by far the most famous countries for their stones.
And then, there is Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Finland, USA, Canada, Greece, Spain, etc. that have at least one quarry of a stone that can be used almost purely for sharpening.

In most cases, it's the need for sharpening media from the people for their jobs, and that need made them search for those stones.
And the internet of course. Who knows how many quarries of quality stones are exploited in countries that people use them everyday, and don't care to make them famous in the world. Africa, biggest part of Asia, south America etc. People in those countries did have the need to chop wood, made wars with sharp, shiny instruments, and need a sharp edge to cut their food.

My main point is, there might be excellent stones in many places, that could easily rival the legendary stones of the past. It's us, who couldn't find it, because we didn't search for it, again because there was no need.

The best quarries didn't dry up, the best ones, are waiting for us to find them.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

As a veteran of many Geology Field Trips I can tell you it ain't fun. Poking around old mines and quarries, long hikes, bad roads, no roads, watching for snakes, being bitten up by bugs, poisonous plants, dragging all kinds of gear with you, private property issues, ornery critters and people, bad weather, etc.

But, if you live in the right part of the country and do some studying and get the maps and are lucky....you never know.

I don't know what planet you live on, but in my world your list (absent "people and private property issues") is pretty much the textbook definition of fun!

Originally Posted by Vasilis

What I have observed about natural stones in countries who quarry and sell them is, when a country is famous for its woodworkers like Japan, or/and has a heavy steel industry like UK. Those two by far the most famous countries for their stones.
And then, there is Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Finland, USA, Canada, Greece, Spain, etc. that have at least one quarry of a stone that can be used almost purely for sharpening.

In most cases, it's the need for sharpening media from the people for their jobs, and that need made them search for those stones.


And the internet of course. Who knows how many quarries of quality stones are exploited in countries that people use them everyday, and don't care to make them famous in the world. Africa, biggest part of Asia, south America etc. People in those countries did have the need to chop wood, made wars with sharp, shiny instruments, and need a sharp edge to cut their food.

My main point is, there might be excellent stones in many places, that could easily rival the legendary stones of the past. It's us, who couldn't find it, because we didn't search for it, again because there was no need.

The best quarries didn't dry up, the best ones, are waiting for us to find them.

My sentiments exactly!

Right today was pretty good.

We only went to the big quarry, It's a hard trail down to the top face, and lugging a backpack full of rocks back up was hard work.

This is the bigger quarry.

You can't see from here but the drop down is very steep. You have to walk round and look for paths.



That's a picture of me and my roman re-enactor mate James in the background.



A close up of some of the scree at the bottom of the top face.



The top face.



We didn't go lower into the quarry. I wanted to see what was at the top first.

One thing we did notice is this stone likes to crack. I'm not sure how good my samples will be as they all came out of the scree, I think to get the best stone extraction with a hammer and bar is probably ideal. I'll show off my bouts later when I clean them up a little.

Originally Posted by Trimmy72

Really getting upset about this.... I don't want to have to drag my 4 year old out to go rock hunting...

it's the out-of-doors! let your boy pick up rocks too, or whatever. Call it a hike. go fishing too. Wait until summer and hunt for snakes and scorpions as well...

How much do you actually remember from that age (without pics to refresh you)? It's not him, it's his momma you gotta please.

__now back to my shales__

SO i stopped at another site today. THESE rocks are different. Look the same, but are denser and make a black, not brown, slurry.

Denser by guesstimation, no actual volume/mass checking-hell that's like lab work, and i'm a precision guesstimator anyhoo

Maybe i whip out some other steels...the lil' Genco is being difficult, still setting bevel/removing last trace of frown.



FTR these are P-1 rocks. (so i don't forgets, i suck at keeping actual notes). And one of them has some "other color" in the plane, but it doesn't feel like it will be an issue. I want to test that too, but do have enough thickness to grind it out. maybe.

Here's some images of the first bout.





And a quick scratch pattern without oil.

It doesn't look like a classic Charnley stone. Is it novaculite? For the scratch pattern, I'm sure it contains abrasive material, but is it suitable for honing?

No it doesn't look like classic CF, But I have seen other hones in this rock. I put a knife on it last night to test it and it left a better finish than a 6Kjap. The oil I used came off very black after about 50 strokes. I'm going to go up again today and see if I can get on the whittle hill site and check that material out. That stone is only finished on a DTM 400, and it looks like it will take a higher grit. I have another couple of bouts from this site to test as well. I did this one because it was the closest to flat.

The other block is far more glassy to the touch and may be closer to what is expected of this stone. Until I get into it I'll have no idea tho.

Charnley Forest or not, it's beautifull hone! I'll have to go there some day myself (and the plane ticket is probably cheaper then buying one from the bay )

I'd also like to see some pic of the stone with black slurry