Thread: Norton Queer/Clear Creek (Ohio Blue) KB8 stone

A question about the Norton Queer/Clear Creek (Ohio Blue) KB8 stone.

Is this a natural stone?

I have 2 of these and the first, (older) seems to be synthetic, it is a completely perfect rectangle that has the feel of a man-made stone.
It is marked Norton Queer Creek KB8 hone.

The second is newer (recent) and is only marked KB8 and says "Made in Mexico"......really? I guess that was a wasted $10

All that I have read is that these stones are supposed to be mined sandstone from the Ohio valley. That seems to me that it would be a natural stone.

Any input here? I emailed Norton but I'm sure they are too busy to worry about customers.

Dave

My uncle handed down to me his father's (my grandpa) Norton Queer Creek hone. I don't know if it is natural or synthetic but from what I researched the name was changed from Queer Creek to Clear Creek around 1946 or 47 if I recall correctly. My uncle told me he could remember when he was a kid grandpa would spit on it to hone his razor. It also was the hone he (grandpa) showed me the correct way to hone a knife. It is something I will pass on to my grandson and I bought a wooden box to keep it in to protect it as it has some sentimental value.

Thanks Doughboy, It's nice to see tradition is still alive.

You wouldn't have a picture would you?

Finally, here is the pics for the older one. I had it soaking for oil removal.

Queer Creek is a Natural Stone...check the Behr Manning PDF file on archives:

https://archive.org/details/How_To_Sharpen_

Its as already mentioned a lower grit Sandstone...

Originally Posted by dta116

Thanks Doughboy, It's nice to see tradition is still alive.

You wouldn't have a picture would you?

Sure do, not the best pic though. Its in pretty good condition and I try to take good care of it. Have not experimented much with it with str8s yet. Not really sure of what grit it is either but pretty smooth.

On the label, which came off not long ago, it read Norton Abrasives, Behn-Manning, Troy, NY, (Division of Norton CO.) and Original Pike Quality along with a pic of a fish.

Yeah Doughboy, That looks like one of the older ones, maybe 40's-50's?

Originally Posted by dta116

Yeah Doughboy, That looks like one of the older ones, maybe 40's-50's?

Has to be in the 40's as I read somewhere that they changed the name from Queer Creek to Clear Creek around '46 or '47, can't remember which. As far as I know it has never been used with oil, just spit......................