Thread: Rating mystery stones

Does anyone have a reliable method for estimating the grit rating of an unknown stone, preferably that does not involve magnification?
I can do the basics like can I put an edge on a dull razor or take one off a shave ready edge. Sorry if this has already been covered, any links would be appreciated.

Joe

Experience

Well there are different concepts. If visual is off the table the next best is feel. Touch it lightly with the most sensitive part of your body, the tip of your tongue. If you use know grits as a reference it will give you a general ball park guess. You can also take a shave ready edge and do a series of strokes on the hone. Test shave it. Does it feel like a 1K or ???. All you are really doing is making and educated guess. Generally the better the knowledge base the more likely the guess is accurate. Sometimes you can just use what you have.

i usually put a razor to it at different points of the process and try to find the slot it fits in with the known stones i have. set the bevel with a 1k, then go to the mystery stone. does it improve the edge? if so reset the bevel and go to the 4k and then the mystery stone. when testing the edge you can use the thumb pad test or hanging hair test.

there are also other ways like checking the scratch pattern on steel, or feeling the stone with you fingers or tongue. of course after cleaning the stone.

here are also a link

http://straightrazorpalace.com/hones...own-stone.html

Originally Posted by RezDog

Well there are different concepts. If visual is off the table the next best is feel. Touch it lightly with the most sensitive part of your body, the tip of your tongue. If you use know grits as a reference it will give you a general ball park guess. You can also take a shave ready edge and do a series of strokes on the hone. Test shave it. Does it feel like a 1K or ???. All you are really doing is making and educated guess. Generally the better the knowledge base the more likely the guess is accurate. Sometimes you can just use what you have.

Next time I have someone over for sharpening a razor I'll lick one of my honed look them straight in the eyes and tell them that's how you're supposed to check your hone.

Originally Posted by StoneSeeker

i usually put a razor to it at different points of the process and try to find the slot it fits in with the known stones i have. set the bevel with a 1k, then go to the mystery stone. does it improve the edge? if so reset the bevel and go to the 4k and then the mystery stone. when testing the edge you can use the thumb pad test or hanging hair test.

there are also other ways like checking the scratch pattern on steel, or feeling the stone with you fingers or tongue. of course after cleaning the stone.

I like this, thank you. I have quite a good rock collection so very doable. I'm not averse to using the visual methods, its just I'm not convinced it would tell the whole story by itself. My jnat creates a very hazy looking bevel but yields a very keen and smooth edge. I think my mystery hone may be a washita and would hazard a guess its comparable to a 3K-5K.

that would be a good guess if its a hard stone. you will know when your lapping one, it takes awhile. mine is kind of brown, tan

Pictures

Yes its a Washita Type stone, estimated grit up to 5-6k, works quite fast....this is how my stones look: