Thread: Are natural finishers available from the whole planet?

Originally Posted by jigane

Weird thing is that I have access to most if not all rock quarries in norway but I have never heard of any of them making hones. Maybe I'll should ask next time I go somewhere. I'm quite sure I can get as much rock as want for free from all of them.

Found the name. Eidsborg bryner. Or Eidsborg hones. They used to export it to lots of places. Let me know if you find a source I've been wanting one for a while.

I would think that there are many sources of coarse to medium whetstone, it's the high quality finishing stone material that is really hard to find

The only thing harder to find is the viable bevel setter.

Originally Posted by Utopian

The only thing harder to find is the viable bevel setter.

I don't believe I've ever seen a natural that even comes close to synthetics for bevel setting.

I think the nearest would be a soft BBW or coti.

Here in western Idaho/eastern Oregon we have lots of nice jasper in large enough pieces to cut medium sized hones from.
I also know of another local stone that is coal black and exterior fractures look almost glasslike. Its not obsidian and is much tougher. I think they would make nice finishers too but they are much harder to find.
One of these days I will have to test that theory.

So around here and I expect other place, there are a lot of rocks that are fine but not that many that have any speed. Some impart a very smooth edge but do very little sharpening. There are so many differing qualities that a natural could have, the challenge is to find one that has them all. Cuts quickly at a fine finish and leaves a smooth shaving edge would be the best of the best in regards to finishers. Those qualities can change very quickly too. As for bevel setters there have been a few over time, I think the Magog is one and the Hindostan was another. I have tried a few different coarse stones and it is very hard to find one hard enough with consistent grit size, I'm still looking for one of those.

I've only tried my Hindostan once for bevel setting, but it seemed fairly fast with slurry. I still much prefer my synthetics, way more consistent.

Originally Posted by RezDog

As for bevel setters there have been a few over time, I think the Magog is one and the Hindostan was another. I have tried a few different coarse stones and it is very hard to find one hard enough with consistent grit size, I'm still looking for one of those.

Originally Posted by rodb

I've only tried my Hindostan once for bevel setting, but it seemed fairly fast with slurry. I still much prefer my synthetics, way more consistent.

I'd like to get my hands on one. One day I will be at a meet and I will have my chance.

I've been lucky enough to find two of them, one is very white and the other kind of orange both with the bands on the side. It does a nice job on kitchen knives, I'll have to give it a try with razors again

Originally Posted by RezDog

I'd like to get my hands on one. One day I will be at a meet and I will have my chance.

Hindostan stones are fair stones, but they are not going to do much if any better than a Washita. Those two are probably the best natural stones from the U.S. that could reasonably be used as bevel setters. Washita are novaculite and Hindostan are a fine grained sandstone. Hindostan abrasive particles BTW are on average about 20 microns.

I have found a very nice finishing stone locally also, a very nice slate that cuts very quickly and finishes quite nicely as well. I'm sure it was deposited here as glacial till as I found it near a kettle lake (formed under a melting glacier). With slurry it's considerably faster than pretty much anything but a JNat or very fast coticule. I call it Kuro slate, some of the guys here have used it.