Thread: vermont green slate whetstone

Does anyone know anything about these stones? They are for sale on Griffiths, but they are apparently from Orleans County in Vermont, which is where my workplace is, so I was hoping to go find the quarry this summer. But I can't seem to find anything about it.

Thanks!

I have a green I had selected and cut from a quarry years ago. It works fine. I wouldn't use slurry on it. The purple does sharper but not quite as smooth as the green in my experience and there is a streaky black type that makes the sharpest edge for me by far. You just need to make sure you get pieces with no crystalline weirdness going on.

Originally Posted by kcb5150

I have a green I had selected and cut from a quarry years ago. It works fine. I wouldn't use slurry on it. The purple does sharper but not quite as smooth as the green in my experience and there is a streaky black type that makes the sharpest edge for me by far. You just need to make sure you get pieces with no crystalline weirdness going on.

which quarry?

Pearl street slate company

Streaked black

Green

Purple, often mistaken for other things

I have all the hones I need, but that may not prevent me from getting another one. This is one I have had on my "maybe one day list". Since I like my edges to be very sharp, I might wait until I can find a purple or black one rather than the green.

I think the people who produce this stuff do so well just cranking out construction materials that they don't care to sift through for choice bits. It's understandable, but a shame as it is superior to the welsh stuff far and away when you have a good piece. Never tried an ilr so I can't say on that front.

I bought one of Matt's restored razors over the holidays that he finished with a green VT slate. It is a really great edge.

I suspect all slate mines derive the vast majority of their income from construction slate for roofs, flooring, etc. There is just too little of a market for razor hones for a mining company to make a living doing that, Welsh slate mines would be similar.

Someone living near the mine might be able to sift though the rubble of pieces too small for construction work, but ideal for hones. Getting permission to do so, however, might be difficult. The stone itself is cheap. All the work needed to cut and lap the stone to produce a hone is the real cost.