Thread: Interesting antique store find

So, I was patrolling some antique stores yesterday in search of some interesting rocks. Made it through 7 stores before I finally found one. I have the inkling that there are more, I just have to keep hitting all the stores. Anyways, I was perusing the one right by my apartment and lo' and behold, a stone with a simple "whetstone $3.95" was sitting on a table. I didn't even look too close because a) it is a decent dimension indicating it was longer, just the right size for a good hone and b) it was green, at worst it would be a neat paper weight even though my windows don't oopen at work. I have lapped it, was disturbingly scratched like someone wanted to saw it into a million pieces, and finished two razors on it; one with dmt slurry, one with out. Slurry seemed appreciably fast, but left striation uncomfortably deep for me, but plain water seems to polish nicely. Test shave will be done shortly and now time for poorly rotated cellphone pics.

Pics are missing ;-)

Originally Posted by doorsch

Pics are missing ;-)

My "smart" phone won't attach them for some reason, no matter how I do it. I will be sure to update this thread tomorrow morning.

can't wait to see it. Why can't i ever find any stones in antique stores

Now, I think I can put the foutters up.

Iam not 100% sure, but it could well be a thuringian Stone. Slurry looks a bit too off / too dark....

Whats the exact size ?
Is it soft ? Do you think its a type of slate ?

It's reasonably soft, it lapped on 320 grit slightly more difficultly than a Naniwa hone, reasonably harder than my coticule which seems to be of a harder variety. Not as hard to lap as my vermio hone, which I imagine is fairly similar to slate. I don't really have any experience with slate/or stones in general other than the three I've mentioned. However, it still feels almost dried clay-like. It does have black spots and some swirling on the surface that is extremely faint. There are some sparkly bits similar to but smaller than my coticule, if you get the angle just right. Prior to lapping, the stone's non-scratched portions were darker and the gouges were yellow in color, like it develops a patina. The slurry it produces is a fairly deep green color. The stone is matte, even after honing with 2 razors and going up to 2000 grit sandpaper. All the stones I have do not show scratch marks from my 320 sandpaper, except for this stone, it had to go to 800 to get a visibly smooth surface (I only have 320,800,1500&2000).

It's dimension are approximately 2.75" x5"x.75", but it appears to have been a longer piece. One end is not quite perpendicular in either direction, whereas the other three are fairly square. Makes me guess that someone cared for it enough to smooth out the broken piece and then abused by another owner, almost like they use 32 grit paper on it.

You won't want that one for razors. Looks like a Portuguese paver stone. I'm short one brick in my back yard, do you mind sending that to me so I can complete my project???

Can you try to catch the swirling or the spots ? And add some daylight shots ?

Harry, Dunno if I trust you about that