Thread: A 7.5 lb Goldfish

I went to a local farmer’s market today. The market is a very old and traditional one and is held since maybe a hundred years, 3 times a year. In former times it was for people living around this area and offside the big towns sometimes the only possibility to get tools, working clothes and kitchen equipment. My family went there since generations and these days, it is a 30 minute drive with a car, in older times it took more than two hours to get there by feet through the mountains and afterwards all the way back, carrying all what you bought.

Anyway - traditionally there are a lot of salesman dealing with so-called Solinger steelware at this market and beside knifes and other things they also have whetstones for sale. Never found anything really interesting since I am going there - but today was something different.

I was looking at a market stand with knifes and just before turning away to continue my walk, my eyes felt on a huge purple stone that was sold as a whetstone. The stone measured 17.5 x 11 cm and was unbelievable 5.7 cm thick.
The stone had a new unknown label at the upper side and a price notice.




Sideview:





When I took it in my hands and turned it around I saw the rest of an old label and I directly recognized that it was an old Goldfish whetstone.




I asked where this stone comes from, hoping to get some more information, but only got the answer that this was an old stock whetstone, no other information available. After dealing a certain time I paid less than 30 € for the stone and the salesman told that he was some kind of lucky to certainly get rid of this huge and heavy piece of stone.
I took the stone in my pocket and went my way continuing to visit the market.

After about one hour I had went through the whole market and certainly came around the market stand where I bought the stone. And what was that? I couldn’t believe my eyes. The same large stone was laying again on the same place!!!
Automatically I grabbed at my pocking thinking I might have lost the stone on my way and someone brought it back. But of course it was still there, all the way I felt the heavy weight of the stone.

So I took this new stone in my hands and turned it around and really – it also got a Goldfish-label. A different label to the first, but also a label I had seen before and clearly a Goldfish.



Of course I also bought this one too and of course now I asked – “How many of the stones do you still have for sale?” But unfortunately – this was the last on he had.
Each of the stones has a weight of 3.3-3.4 kg means 7.5 lb.

Here are the two stones in comparison to a Goldfish at typical size 6 x 1.5 inch.




Happy market day !!!

Now that is a pair of real hones, congrats on the finds.

Bob

Holey Schmoley, Congratulations, thanks for showing Peter. I bet you were surprised when you first saw that on the table.. It's hard to keep your cool ..he,he
Mike

They canot be used that way , you have to cut them to 4 pieces each / and sell us a piece / . Beautyfull stones = I can pay 40 Eu right away for the one
They are made for axes or chief knifes . Only gues .Im so jalous

Looks the same from the sides like my "La Lorraine" and my "Goldfisch Wetzstein"

Ah yes and another thing that could be proven – at least for the specific examples that are in my collection. I discussed this item the whole day with Sebastian (doorsch) via email.

It is absolutely clear that these three stones have the same origin and are of the same layer:



First stone I have already presented here:



Second one is:



Now what is the third one?



Well I still got the coticule collection from Henk Bos with me that he lent me last year to do some test and comparison to the coticules I have.
In Henks collection there is also a clearly identified Rouge du Salm stone. You can find it on page 4 of his essay Grinding and Honing Part 4.



So from the look, surface pattern, view through a loupe and shortly tested honing capabilities it is clear for me that the Goldfish whetstone and the La Lorraine are Rouge du Salm!

Very cool! I wonder if that large stone was intended for broad tools.

In holtzapffel's material (ornamental turning, ...), he suggests that it's regular suggested practice to use a slate hone on broad tools (axes, etc), and a less friable stone on smaller tools like chisels and plane irons. Due, of course, to the need for fresher particles on a very large surface and not so fresh particles on a small surface.

Very cool Peter. I'm horribly jealous as they are my current favorite stones and am looking for a real Goldfisch.

The cut corner unlabeled Lorraine I have with the swirling pattern is the only problem I have with Lorraines being called Rouge du Salm. My salms are non porous and the Lorraine definately absorbs water and has a stronger smell.

The cut corner is not labeled though so maybe is not a true Lorraine? I really need a Goldfisch so I can do my own comparisons. My Salm stones are a bit finer with smoother feedback also.

Thanks for clarifying Peter, as mentioned by email my idea was just that the middle part of the Lorraine Layer does appear different then the Outside layers....

So this could be the factor that the stones sometimes appear and work different on some cases even coming from the same company with the same label...

One type appears clearly reddish BBW typed with salm or BBW typic patterns...

The others look a bit coarser with darker violet/blue banding/swirling...

Gabe i owned all the stones before, your stone is identical to the square sized Goldfisch i had. So for me its clear! As mentioned above it might be just the natural difference within the layer itself....as it might occur also on other naturals