Thread: The Frankonian

Well it seems this stone is fading into obscurity. At one time I really wanted one, but the vendor had a really bad reputation for taking so long to ship, they would void the return policy PayPal had back in the day. I don't know if that was true - I just bought into the rumors and ended up just never getting one.

File:St 14 frankonian.jpg - Straight Razor Place Library


But I saved "Franconian" as a key word on eBay to let me know when one came up for sale. In the last couple of years I think I got one alert - I think I bid, but the stone ultimately went for considerably more than the vendor was asking...

Now I note the vendor is no longer selling the stone!

Olivia's handgemachte Naturseifen

Well... that's seemingly the end of the Frankonian. Will the stone fade into obscurity? Or gain a cult status? Don't know. But I am saddened that I never purchased one lol! In my mind it'll reach cult status.

Do you have one or know of one being used??

Tell me about it!

From what i can remember about reading about these stones your not missing much very inconsistent.

I think you single handedly have launch it to cult status! LOL!

I remember when I started straight razor shaving not too long ago and Eschers could be had for $200 ( the nice label, bigger stones) now I see them $600-800, selling price! Was able to buy one at $170.00 (missed named on e-bay), but we are our own worst enemies.

Straight razor is gaining popularity and with that people read this forum and the few others that talk about razors and hones for them. With that, it comes the demand (perceived or real) for those things we read about.

We live in a world economy, so when riches shift from on country to another, some one with money is ready to pay more for that item!

All I remember, is that the folks that had them were decidedly underwhelmed. I'd love to try one, but not at the price point.

Clearly I only read the good reviews lol!!!

I had one that the vendor sent to me to test when her brother 'discovered' a source for the stones in Germany. I wasn't impressed and sent it to Lynn for him to give it a go. IIRC he wasn't impressed either. He told me he was going to mail it back and I told him not to bother.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I had one that the vendor sent to me to test when her brother 'discovered' a source for the stones in Germany. I wasn't impressed and sent it to Lynn for him to give it a go. IIRC he wasn't impressed either. He told me he was going to mail it back and I told him not to bother.

Killing the cult status one post at a time lol!!

Only goes to show that "sound investigation" can be lost in the noobs (me) pursuit of the... ultimate edge via a stone and hype rather than listening!

I really, really must have only read the hype lol!!

Thanks. . .

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I wasn't impressed and sent it to Lynn for him to give it a go. IIRC he wasn't impressed either. He told me he was going to mail it back and I told him not to bother.

Now, that's like the FEDS saying interest rates are going up and the stocks go down that same day!

I will ask Olivia if anybody is still interested, as far as i know these stones were from an own found source, where ever this is....

As already mentioned i know that there are different opinions around these stones, i read that some prefer a thuringian for example others wont give their frankonian away...

Here is Olivias Stone page:
http://www.olivia-seife.de/steinvergleich.htm

One seem to be the same picture like the SRP here above is brown Frankonian...

Here is where it all started (on the german GRF...Gut rasiert Forum....)

http://forum.nassrasur.com/showtopic...id=12292&time=

Leslemming was the one who did test the stone in comparison to others....
Sorry its in german...if any further information is requested i can translate some of the informations...

Good luck getting a reply from Olivia. She has been elusive for years and her being a founding member of another razor forum that Bart from coticule.de presided over, at the time of renewal of the site she was 'incommunicado' and so the site went under.

I corresponded with her for a while around that time, wasting my time on telling her exactly what I wanted and establishing a received-by date to allow me enough time to cancel the PayPal transaction. Everything was set, but she didn't send the PayPal request and numerous emails I sent asking why went unanswered. Then I asked Bart about it and when he said she was unreachable I counted myself lucky that I hadn't parted with any money.

As far as I know she is not and has not been a vendor for some cosiderable time - years - and is still incommunicado, although another enthusiast directed my attention to her brief appearance on some german (?) Tv show or podcast sometime after she went missing.

The stone came from her brother, who has a mine specialising in utility slate for landscaping, flooring and tiling. Being incommunicado must run in the family: he has an email address and a website but never bothered to reply to my emails.

I remember that prior to his web book Henk Bos and his wife visited this quarry and the owner gave him a couple of hones. I think I recall that correctly - no doubt Henk will correct me if I am wrong.

I gave up the quest in the end, partly out of chagrin and partly due to other dubious info on Olivia's site. If you are going to part with hard earned cash for something described as the bees-knees, then you bdtter have complete faith in your source's credentials, and to be quite frank I did not.

Regards,
Neil