Originally Posted by
criswilson10
In a pinch, I think just about any rock will do as a hone. Especially as a course hone. Finishers you might have to work the rock down a bit to get it fine. Obviously some rocks make better hones than others, but a thousand years or more ago, you used what you could get your hands on. Over the years I've picked up all sorts of schists and slates that I converted to hones using a wet saw.Of course anyone that hones, now or thousands of years ago, is always in search of a better hone and that hone always tends to be from the other side of the world. That is why even really, really old trade manifests will list rocks that were traded.
If you want to find local rocks for hones, I'd start with a geological map of the area. That will at least narrow down your search area. Or find a local born before 1950 and ask them if they remember of any local hones.