Thread: Can you help my identify my stone?

This is a stone I got from a friend, it is a large 12" x 2.5" x 1" almost black, really heavy. The specific gravity is around 2.8. I was able to lap it with a diamond stone, although it took me about 30 minutes to get it right. And it was not too much of.
I took the pictures under natural light, so they are pretty much accurate.

Thanks in advance!

Daaz

Being your from Romania I'm guessing its not a Hard Black Arkansas. But it looks like some kind of slate stone. Nice size too. Put a razor on it and see what kind of edge it gives.
BTW, Welcome to SRP. Congrats on your first post and being a member for 4 years.

Maybe a Thuringian or a Cnat. I'm wondering why you don't hone on the rock in that window sill under it. ...hey, why not?

First sign of HAD: everything made of stone looks like a hone

Thank you for the kind reply!
For now, I am deep into jnats, therefore this one in on my (quite long) waiting list. I just had a breakthrough in honing after re-discovering the joining of the edge under the weight of the blade only, in the late finishing process and I am still trying to push this as far as possible. I am out of blades also

I think you are right with Thuringian as Germany is closer and there is German population in Romania. Chinese people, bringing in stones... not so much. Moreover, it seems to be cut to unusual specifications, so I guess, by the size of it, that it was destined to be in a butcher shop or something.

Thanks for the reply!

Daaz

Originally Posted by daaz68

I think you are right with Thuringian as Germany is closer and there is German population in Romania. Chinese people, bringing in stones... not so much. Moreover, it seems to be cut to unusual specifications, so I guess, by the size of it, that it was destined to be in a butcher shop or something.

Thanks for the reply!

Daaz

For comparison: here is a small thuri.
Top

Bottom

Edge

To me, my stone looks identical to yours, color and texture both. I will go with Thuringian .

Thank you, Paul!

Yup, looks like slate, most Thuringian’s have saw marks on the ends. Better photos will show that.

What color is the slurry?

Have you tried finishing on it, try some Diamond slurry, it should produce a nice edge? Rubbing stones are available from some of the Thuringian collectors or you can cut a piece off one end, it will cut easily with a hacksaw.

A rubbing stone will produce a bit finer slurry.

Originally Posted by Euclid440

Yup, looks like slate, most Thuringian’s have saw marks on the ends. Better photos will show that.

What color is the slurry?

Have you tried finishing on it, try some Diamond slurry, it should produce a nice edge? Rubbing stones are available from some of the Thuringian collectors or you can cut a piece off one end, it will cut easily with a hacksaw.

A rubbing stone will produce a bit finer slurry.

It definitely does have circular blade marks on one edge. The slurry is gray with a tint of blue coming out of my worn out 1200 diamont plate. And I think that I also have a rubbing stone that came with it. I will definitely give it a try.

On the other hand, I just received my shinny Norton Hard Translucent Arkansas Benchstone and now every other stone seems to be so far away....

Thank you for your help, I really appreciate it.

Daaz

If it came with a rubbing stone and it is original, it is most probably a Thuringian’ and most probably a good one of razor quality.

There are tons of un-labeled Escher and other top-quality Thuringians in the wild. Unless you are selling it, all that matters is the finish the stone can produce.

Hard arks are a different kettle of fish, and another black hole. Lots to learn and experiment with.