Thread: What natural hone am I describing??

"2X8"x7/8" Basic color; Black and Grey, black flecks on surface along with "Little diamonds" sparkling, quartz I think. No idea whether this is a good finisher or not,was sold to me as razor hone. Have been too messed up after surgery to do much, even hone or strop.

I have read nearly this same description here someplace.

Thanks for looking Gent's.
Scroll down to original ad.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281802587343...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Could be a few things, but that seller bought a really nice 5x1 thuri from me so he does know what an excellent razor hone should be like. I'm not reading it as a French rock, those have a strange metallic sheen a lot of the time.

I used to own that stone. It came in a lot of 8-10 stones that included a coticule and a la Lune. I never could figure what that one was but I don't think French. I've shaved off it several times. It's definitely a fine stone. Glad to see its in good hands.

Thank you both for the excellent info, Dcaddo1 I will get to know the stone then, what were the shaves telling you?
Out of the box, I will try smiths honing oil and glycerin, any advice for honing ? did you use water other than for dilution? Thanks again Gent's.

I used it with a glycerin/water mix. Water only the shaves were a little harsh for me. It cuts slowly and leaves a very even and very shallow scratch pattern. It also polishes as it cuts.
When I was first testing it I maxed out an edge on a Snow White 8 k and then did sets of 10 x-strokes on your stone and checked. It improved the 8k edge significantly and if I remember correctly somewhere around 30 laps was the sweet spot for me, but of course that may vary between users.
It was definitely used with oil by its previous owner but didn't seem like it has absorbed any and it cleaned off nicely

Excellent, thank you very much. Will start with your advice Dcaddo.

It's a British hone, and one of the "yellow Lake" stone quarries, if I'm not mistaken. The way it is cut is characteristic, as well as the color, and for this type of stone, when there are no sparkly particles (that's not mica) and it's pitch black, it gets as good as a Thuringian, in fact it's difficult to distinguish them on shaving. If it has, it usually is around 6k or a bit finer. A fast cutter but not a fine finisher.
I've also found a stone like this one with a label/sticker from Salmen's stones, with the same characteristics, but no sparkling particles and it was indeed a fine finisher although strangely a tiny bit harsh.
I've talked quite a bit about that type of stone with Neil Miller, may he rest in peace. At least, his knowledge on hones is not completely lost.

Thank you Vasilis, your knowledge means a lot and that of Neil Miller. Respects.