Thread: Good Deal?

Managed to nab this on an website for general vintage tools. Didn't cost very much at all, Welsh slate type prices. Looks right to me but second or even third opinions are welcome.

The label looks thurigian. However it’s not likely an Escher. It could be a great finisher for razors. Escher wasn’t the only producers. Check out https://razorlovestones.wordpress.com/

Originally Posted by RezDog

The label looks thurigian. However it’s not likely an Escher. It could be a great finisher for razors. Escher wasn’t the only producers. Check out https://razorlovestones.wordpress.com/

Oh I didn't buy it hoping it was an Escher or anything. I was just wondering if this looked right for a Thuringian type stone considering the natural variation. I've been a 99% of the time coti user so don't have a ton of experience looking at other naturals. From what I have seen this looks in the ballpark for color, label, etc but there are people with much more experience with these things than me.

Man I wish we could see a pic of the label closer. Looks blue-green, but outside light is best to judge.
Should be a killer finisher. If it is not stuck to the box it could be held in hand comfortably.

I too have one of those, and from my limited research understood that a "Celebrated Water Hone" was another variant of an Escher label, but I'm nobody's expert on these things. In any event, they still exist in large numbers, and are generally considered great finishers of the Thuringian type. IMO, they are great for a smooth final finish on smiling Sheffields due to their narrow shape, and are probably the closest to idiot-proof of any natural stone, unlike cotis and J-nats. Just dirt simple to use-enjoy!

As you say that, Aaron, I have seen more than one old advert with a selection of razor hones posted here where coti's were much more expensive than Escher waterstones and the descriptions said the blue Escher was good for beginners because they cannot overhone.
I imagine the coticules were the 'fast and furious' of the day.

This is a generic Thuringian hone. Not an Escher but many are at least as good as Eschers.

The stone was mined and sold by the company Christoph Luthard Fikken Sohn. The company was one of the first and the last one mining thuringian waterhones in Steinach7 thurngia. The mine closed 1966. J.G. Escher&Co got the stones they sold under the Escher label from that quarry.
Regards Peter