Thread: Please help identify this stone

One good old man gave me this stone. He only said that it belonged to his father. He doesn't know anything else about it.
The stone was very dirty and quite damaged. I cleanned it up and aligned it on a diamond plate. After this I плискаше it on a glass with silicone carbide. This is the result. The red polish is original. I didn't make it myself.

It really seems like some kind of Japanes stone to me, but I am not sure. I haven't used it yet.

I will be very thankful, if you can help me identify it.

Reminds me of a PHIG, I once had.


A Chinese finisher, of approximately 12-14k

There are several Japanese ‘indicators’.

- the ‘cloudy’ surface appearance
- the irregular layer cracks (look like irregular white lines)
- the natural ‘skin’ that’s iron-bearing
- maybe the worked side - did you do anything to the man made marks on the side(s)?
- the angular cracks
- it’s irregularly shaped (koppa)

The Japanese also sometimes use colorful lacquer on their stones, though anyone could put anything on a stone.

A better shot of the worked side, skin, and the corners would help.

Kind of look's like a Light green Thuri bout. Like the ones Peter has. Cool stone.

I second this. ^^^^^

Thuri would probably be my second guess, but if the stone is old, did they even sell Thuri bouts in the ‘olden days’?

I think we’re at an end without the stone in hand, but maybe there’s another option. Our fellow SRPer RusenBG is in Plovdiv and has both Thuris and jnats. I’m sure the difference would be immediately obvious to him.

I base my opinion on the skin i see in the first pic. Looks just like what is on the side of my bout. But i have to agree with you Steve. With the age id wonder about that too.

Originally Posted by Steve56

Thuri would probably be my second guess, but if the stone is old, did they even sell Thuri bouts in the ‘olden days’?

I think we’re at an end without the stone in hand, but maybe there’s another option. Our fellow SRPer RusenBG is in Plovdiv and has both Thuris and jnats. I’m sure the difference would be immediately obvious to him.

https://sharprazorpalace.com/hones/1...ut-stones.html

Steve they did sell the bouts in the old days. Not sure why we don't see more of them though. Thuringian bout is my Guess. I have a couple and everything but the red says it is a thuri to me. That red was common on the old Water of Ayr stones and Tam O Shanter stones.

The stria or kasumi finish on steel may show you if it is a Jnat or Slate. Hard to say from a photo of the stone.

Thank you all for your replies.

Now that I think about it, they stone must have came to Bulgaria before 1950, perhaps long before that. It doesn't seem very plausable that in those years, in a small town in Bulgaria, a Japanese or Chinese stone appeared. Back then, we didn't have developed trade relationships with those countries. It seems more realistic that the stone came from Europe. Maybe the guess about Thuris is the closest one to the truth.

By the way, I used the stone on one of my razors that has very tough steel. It has really good tactical sense of honing. It works quite fast. It gives very good and soft finish (I do not use strop and paste). I am very pleased from the result!

In the end, the result is more important than the stone itself. But, it's better if a man knows his instruments.