Thread: I Found It Over There

Slate has a natural cleavage so a brisk blow with a hammer and chisel will cause it to cleave. If its subject to weathering it will begin to deteriorate after all is metamorphosed shale. Slate is very common throughout the Northeast. Parts of N.Y and Pennsylvania and West Virginia and beyond.

When you see it exposed at road cuts you will see it with a pile at the base very often.

I was getting a little discouraged about my local rock hounding. I have found a few sandstone samples that make pretty nice edges on knives but are too gritty for razors. I have thought for the last forty years of living here that all of the non sandstone rock was igneous and therefor I had discounted all of it for use as hones. I have recently learned that most of what I thought was igneous is actually metamorphosed sedimentary rock which opens up 100s of square miles to explore. Most of this metamorphic has large crystals in it and is way too course but the fact that there is a lot of different layers means that fine grain metamorphic could be found almost anywhere. Yesterday I found a whole mountain of hornfels that is very promising.

My brother in law is a geologist. I should have him read this thread and tell me where to start searching. Would be kind of a fun time

Well surely that all of the rock that would be perfect for hones and all of the rock that is on the planet all of the perfect hone layers have not or could not have been already exhausted. The greatest hones ever are still waiting to be discovered. It has been almost a year since I last had the chance to go out and gather rock for potential new hones. I'm glad to see a new post in this thread. I hope to be able to get out in the upcoming months. I think we should all look every time we are out in the wilderness.

Like with most commercial deposits they are worked because of the size of the deposit. if you look you can find just about anything in small deposits. Idaho is a mineralogists playland it's so diverse.

Go to a local college and ask around at the geology department for cues as to where to go and collect.

Also the U.S Geologic Survey has reports on just about every local and mineral in the world. A decent sized library should carry them.

I will have to reread this topic and take some notes. In a paragraph or two what are the key things/mineral deposits to look for when looking for a hone?

That will depend on what you already know and what you are able to learn. I am not educated in geology and really have little understanding of anything more than the basics. I use what I call a brute force attack. I go out and look for likely spots in the areas that I outdoor a lot and break a few rocks. It is amazing on how the inside often has little resemblance to the outside. I look at the grains on the inside, they give me clues as to whether or not it is worth dragging it home or not. Inclusions are a no go. Non uniform grit is also a no go. I nice solid piece with no cracks and no inclusions works pretty good. I take them home and cut them and lap then and do scratch pattern tests on hard steel. Most often I start with a nice wide and flat chisel. I am looking for cut speed as well as a fine scratch pattern. Although not all hones need to be fast, some can be just smooth. I have found several small deposits that have produced some nice hones. Keep looking or start looking, but let the hunt go on!

It's been a long time since I read this whole thread. It is probably in here, but how are you sawing your stones Shaun? What I have been doing is collecting pieces that may make small but usable hones without sawing. That way I can test the rock with a minimum of work and if the stone is good, I can think about larger hones from the same deposit.

It is kind of a haywire set up. I have a 16" Stihl wet saw that I use to break the big pieces down. I then use a ten inch wet saw to cut slabs and square them up. Then all my lapping is done by hand. I have put a homemade vice on my set saw to hold pieces steady and reduce lapping. Ideally a 16" rock saw would make a big difference in lapping time, however they are a little pricey. I already had all of my stuff, so I have not really bought any equipment. Blades and lapping plates are pretty pricey. Guys that live in the big centers can rent gear, which is always handy.

Originally Posted by RezDog

It is kind of a haywire set up. I have a 16" Stihl wet saw that I use to break the big pieces down. I then use a ten inch wet saw to cut slabs and square them up. Then all my lapping is done by hand. I have put a homemade vice on my set saw to hold pieces steady and reduce lapping. Ideally a 16" rock saw would make a big difference in lapping time, however they are a little pricey. I already had all of my stuff, so I have not really bought any equipment. Blades and lapping plates are pretty pricey. Guys that live in the big centers can rent gear, which is always handy.

I would be building a jig for that 16 inch saw and make it into a radial arm saw or something. That would be slick.