Thread: Tam O' Shanter - 'Scotch Hone' close ups

That's certainly the trademark label. Interesting. Good to see the stone too? Talking to Coully today he thought that the second image I took, which is labelled as TAM is in fact a Water of Ayr. Re the strops - this I haven't read anywhere but will keep an eye open. Smiths were the company who worked out of Mauchline - just up the road from the mill - producing the boxes for them for around 100 years.

Thanks
Stephen

Originally Posted by Makar

That's certainly the trademark label. Interesting. Good to see the stone too? Talking to Coully today he thought that the second image I took, which is labelled as TAM is in fact a Water of Ayr.

Funny, I was thinking the same thing when I looked at those pics – I think one of yours is the Water of Ayr. I heard somewhere (maybe from Coully?) that the hard-and-fast distinction between the WOA and the TOS is relatively recent. That is, that they used to just be called "Ayrshire stones" – and colloquially "Tam O'Shanters" because of the local Burns connection – and that there was simply some variety in the figure and fineness. A bit like the significant color variation in vintage Thuringians. And then at some point they sort of codified that the more mottled stones were Tam O'Shanters and the dark slate ones were "Water of Ayr" stones.

I may have hallucinated this – – so it would be interesting if Coully or someone with the book on these stones could set me straight.

Originally Posted by Makar

That's certainly the trademark label. Interesting. Good to see the stone too?

I have yet to see the surface of a Dalmore Yellow, but I'll take a pic of mine when I get it.

Makar,
Your photos are more informative if you provide the level of magnification. Do you know what it was?

Well Utopian - I don't really speak 'camera' but it was as close as it gets (.62 ft) with a 1:1 lens - 50mm F2.8 Macro. Hope that helps but if you can express this in X's or explain how that works then great. I don't really do numbers... Not sure how the lifesize nature of this translates on screen.

I would hope that by relating the two same stones on the paddles with the close ups may help to understand the scale too.

thanks
Stephen

Originally Posted by Utopian

Makar,
Your photos are more informative if you provide the level of magnification. Do you know what it was?

Sorry, my bad. I assumed the shots were done through a microscope. Given that you shot it with a camera, then grain pattern of the hones is surprising.

I have never seen a grain pattern like that on a hone.

Yeah, the ToS have interesting patterns. Here's a closeup of mine (also no microscope, just my little P&S camera).

Originally Posted by dylandog

I heard somewhere (maybe from Coully?) that the hard-and-fast distinction between the WOA and the TOS is relatively recent. That is, that they used to just be called "Ayrshire stones" – and colloquially "Tam O'Shanters" because of the local Burns connection – and that there was simply some variety in the figure and fineness. A bit like the significant color variation in vintage Thuringians. And then at some point they sort of codified that the more mottled stones were Tam O'Shanters and the dark slate ones were "Water of Ayr" stones. I may have hallucinated this – .

OK, I've dug around with Google books and it looks like I didn't hallucinate this. What follows is the text of a paid notice John C. Montgomerie (the owner of the company at the time) took out in "Kelly's Directory of the Leather Trades" in 1885:

IMPORTANT CHANGE OF NAME.
The name of the celebrated qualities of Hone Stone produced from the “Water of Ayr Stone Quarry and Hone Works,” and esteemed and known in the market as “Water of Ayr Stone,” “Snake Stone,” and “Scotch Hone,” and exclusively supplied by me and my predecessors for about 100 years past, is now changed to the distinctive name “TAM O’SHANTER” Hone or Stone, and some of the grades of quality suited for special purposes will be known as “DALMORE HONE,” “MONTGOMERIESTONE HONE,” and “SOUTAR JOHNNY HONE.” Every Stone will bear a Label or Stamp with one or other of these names, and the public are earnestly requested to ask for it accordingly, as only the very inferior sorts and those hitherto rejected at the Quarry will now be sent out by me as “Water of Ayr Stone” or “Snake Stone.”
JOHN C. MONTGOMERIE, “The Tam O’Shanter” Hone Works, Dalmore, Tarblton Station, R.S.O. Ayrshire

Of the new names, apparently only "Dalmore" stuck. And in due course "Water of Ayr Stone," far from designating rejects and seconds sold presumably at a discount, came instead to designate the very finest of the Scotch hones. I wonder if there are any Montgomeriestone's or Soutar Johnny's out there to be found. Soutar Johnny by the way was another character in the "Tam O'Shanter" poem by Robert Burns.

Good stuff. Some more names to play with re the stones. Soutar is a shoemaker incidentally - one of Tams pals that he used to get 'unco fu at the nappy' (very drunk at the bar) with! Tam came from a farm by the village of Maidens (about 13 miles from the pub he was getting fu in) called Shanter - hence Tam O' Shanter. The story Burns relates is about his journey home - particularly about 3 miles in when he passes Auld Alloway Kirk and meets Auld Nick (satan) and his witches!

Picked up a Tam from an old gent who knew my dad in Maidens recently - he had some interesting stories about how the stones were brought down Ayr harbour and bartered for a few fish for a fry up etc.

Thanks
Stephen

Originally Posted by dylandog

. I wonder if there are any Montgomeriestone's or Soutar Johnny's out there to be found. Soutar Johnny by the way was another character in the "Tam O'Shanter" poem by Robert Burns.

Heads-up gents. I have found some Welsh Dragon's Tongue hones.
£10 odd to UK 8x2's
See my post........