Page 1 of 81 123451151 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 804
Like Tree862Likes

Thread: I Found It Over There

  1. #1
    Fatty Boom Boom WW243's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Rockville
    Posts
    3,258
    Thanked: 638

    Default I Found It Over There

    A lot of us know the arc of Michael C and the Zulu, a fascinating and I hope the most successful unearthing or finding of a finishing hone of significant quantity in modern times? Well I think there are other members out there who have tried to find suitable rock for finishing razors. I know generally there is an outline for the typical geologic strata that these stones are found in and I recall a post by Neil Miller that was excellent in this regard.
    My question is: has anyone had any luck? If you were not looking for a commercial size deposit it seems like it might be fun....then again, maybe not.
    "Call me Ishmael"
    CUTS LANE WOOL HAIR LIKE A Saus-AGE!

  2. #2
    The Hurdy Gurdy Man thebigspendur's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    New Mexico
    Posts
    32,737
    Thanked: 5016
    Blog Entries
    4

    Default

    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.
    No matter how many men you kill you can't kill your successor-Emperor Nero

  3. The Following User Says Thank You to thebigspendur For This Useful Post:

    Thaeris (04-19-2014)

  4. #3
    Senior Member Vasilis's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Thessaloniki, Greece
    Posts
    885
    Thanked: 202

    Default

    Finding stones is not difficult at all. Really. Silicon oxide is the most common substance on earth's crust, and what makes stones cut.
    For me, I have found many stones, and I'm talking about quality stones, not something that reminds me a hone. Nothing in huge quantities, but enough for me, stones from bevel set to finish.
    But, lapping them is much more difficult than finding them.
    Also, slate is an abundant geologic formation, and most of them are suitable for razors. If it looks like a slate, you could have found something good. Don't search for fancy stones with purple dots with white swirls in a turquoise colored matrix. Fancy stones are by far the most common I see on threads about stones they found. Dull colored are just as good, probably better.
    For all I know, sidewalks on South Africa could be nicely decorated on Zulu grey flagstones.

  5. The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to Vasilis For This Useful Post:

    AljuwaiedAK (10-13-2015), Jimfishesvt (03-13-2014), Thaeris (04-19-2014), WW243 (02-12-2014)

  6. #4
    The Hurdy Gurdy Man thebigspendur's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    New Mexico
    Posts
    32,737
    Thanked: 5016
    Blog Entries
    4

    Default

    That's why they used to say "the roads in the U.S are paved with gold" Everyone used a straight in those days.
    Suile, Thaeris and Corin like this.
    No matter how many men you kill you can't kill your successor-Emperor Nero

  7. #5
    Senior Member blabbermouth RezDog's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, Canada
    Posts
    14,384
    Thanked: 4820

    Default

    I too am a rockhound. There is a lot of rock in my yard, some it makes it to hones and some of it makes it to hone shaped rocks. If you enjoy the thrill of the hunt it is awesome. I have a few floating around out there in the possession of others. Perhaps in time I will dial in on just the spot. Rock changes very fast, I have one hone that I like a lot, and go back to that same rock face trying to find more, but no luck. I don't have a bevel setter. I have a great intermediate, very fast, and a couple of fairly nice finishers. My issue is finding soft rock. Most of mine a fairly hard and require a DMT to generate a slurry, the up side is they cut well and smooth out with water to polish well, for the most part. I have more duds than great hones. Sometimes they will just always be rocks.
    Last edited by RezDog; 02-13-2014 at 03:01 AM.
    Suile, doorsch and FAL like this.
    It's not what you know, it's who you take fishing!

  8. The Following User Says Thank You to RezDog For This Useful Post:

    WW243 (02-13-2014)

  9. #6
    32t
    32t is offline
    Senior Member blabbermouth 32t's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    50 miles west of randydance
    Posts
    9,573
    Thanked: 1352

    Default

    I have spent a little time looking for a hone in my area.The Glenwood Formation is a layer of Shale along the Mississippi around here. I researched it found it, tried it, and it was a bust as far as honing. BUT I had a lot of fun and learned a few things along the way!
    WW243 and entropy1049 like this.

  10. #7
    Chasing the Edge WadePatton's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Middle Tennessee
    Posts
    920
    Thanked: 117

    Default

    Oh just CRAP, now i have another thing to hunt around for and hoard up in piles ...

    Where do i go to learn more about the specifics of the geologies to consider? There is a layer of shale in the area.

    And chert and flint and limestone and sandstone and geodes if i go up and down the elevations. I'll has to get me a cutting method.

    I gave up trying to find knappable flint for use in my lock. The rocks are sparky but fracture in a linear fashion, not conchoidially- making it impossible to knap. It is very hard and sparky though. I still look for lock-sized chips. Flatted a tire on the stuff recently too-right through 8-ply tread.

    Could make some nice square/smooth fire-ring rocks ...good for keeping your cowboy coffee warm by the fire!
    Last edited by WadePatton; 02-13-2014 at 12:25 PM.
    Buttery Goodness is the Grail

  11. #8
    aka shooter74743 ScottGoodman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    SE Oklahoma/NE Texas
    Posts
    7,285
    Thanked: 1936
    Blog Entries
    4

    Default

    There are a lot of difficulties that I am not properly equipped for (besides mentally). YOu have to be able to cut and finish a stone, much less find them. I've found quite a few stones that I thought I could try out...but to my dismay they aren't so easy to finish up to a flat surface to even put a razor to. That's an investment right there.
    Vasilis, Suile and WW243 like this.
    Southeastern Oklahoma/Northeastern Texas helper. Please don't hesitate to contact me.
    Thank you and God Bless, Scott

  12. #9
    Senior Member blabbermouth RezDog's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, Canada
    Posts
    14,384
    Thanked: 4820

    Default

    I live in an area that is covered with a lot of shale and slate. My methods are fairly barbaric, I hit the rock with a large hammer and break a piece off, I examine the broken piece, it needs a little bit of sparkle but no crystals larger than a sparkle, fine grain and no voids. If it has all of that and isn't too hard to break a piece off I take it home and cut it. Thats the easy part. Then it needs to be lapped. I lap by hand because a wet sander is expensive and not justifiable at this point. I lap on three progressions of DMT plates. I have discovered that lapping is everything. If the rock isn't flat and smooth you will never know what it really can do. There is also novaculite which is used for making hones. I haven't found any that I know of. My geology knowledge is very rudimentary. Happy rockhounding!
    32t, Johnus, WW243 and 2 others like this.
    It's not what you know, it's who you take fishing!

  13. #10
    Senior Member blabbermouth RezDog's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, Canada
    Posts
    14,384
    Thanked: 4820

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by shooter74743 View Post
    There are a lot of difficulties that I am not properly equipped for (besides mentally). YOu have to be able to cut and finish a stone, much less find them. I've found quite a few stones that I thought I could try out...but to my dismay they aren't so easy to finish up to a flat surface to even put a razor to. That's an investment right there.
    I have a Stihl TS800 and a 8" wet saw, both running diamond blades. They are remnants of jobs of days gone by. Otherwise the outlay for my goofing around with rocks would be insane. The DMT plates alone are pricey. Anyone who rock hounds for hones is in it for the hunt.
    It's not what you know, it's who you take fishing!

Page 1 of 81 123451151 ... LastLast

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •