Thread: Fox Razor Hone - Goldfisch Wetzstein take your pick

Here are some pics of the hone after I lapped it. It has some white inclusions that do not seem to affect the honing properties.

Purty. If women were into straight razors as much as men, there'd be hone jewelry.....

Originally Posted by Mijbil

fantastic stuff. how do those fox / goldfisch perform? I've been noticing all these antique dealers who sell stones in old wooden boxes - seemingly more for the boxes than the stones. what sorts of hones tend to be in those? fine ones?

Thuringian and Coticule stones were indeed boxed in wooden boxes. However, you must be cautious when bidding on old grimy looking wooden boxed sharpening stones. Most I've seen are close to worthless coarse oilstones.

Originally Posted by Kees

The one I got performs really well. I think it is finer than many vintage grey Thuringen hones.

People seemed to almost laugh at Sham some time ago when he stated that there was a "brown Escher". OK, maybe they didn't, but I recall skepticism. He's right. and you're right as you know, that you have a brown Thuringian. IIRC Sham also said, like you Kees, that the brown Thuringian put a better edge on a razor than the gray ones.

The one I had that started this post was very small. I sold it to Sham. I knew it would have a good home.

Chris L

Mine isn't much bigger: 30x125 mm
But I have got used to smaller hones and like them for blades with a less than perfect blade geometry. My Goldedge has a slight frown probably due to minimal warpage. I got a great edge on this Goldfisch, so I will keep it.

@ ChrisL: you seem to sell all your good hones: a Goldfisch to Sham, your Hohenzollern to me. I wonder: what super hone(s) have you got?

Originally Posted by Kees

Mine isn't much bigger: 30x125 mm
But I have got used to smaller hones and like them for blades with a less than perfect blade geometry. My Goldedge has a slight frown probably due to minimal warpage. I got a great edge on this Goldfisch, so I will keep it.

@ ChrisL: you seem to sell all your good hones: a Goldfisch to Sham, your Hohenzollern to me. I wonder: what super hone(s) have you got?

I like to share the joy, Kees! I have a handful of Thuringians that I like.

I do have my favorites that I don't think I'd ever sell:

I'd never sell this gem:





And, my Nakayama Asagi from So:



I'm just trying to pare things down and simplify a bit. It's not working too well though!

Chris L

Ah, you're recovering from HAD?

I am still a sufferer I am afraid.

I don't think I'll ever recover from HAD.

But, I no longer comb the web for acquisitions. You all have one less competitor, at least for the time being.

I can see myself looking for and snatching up any great deal on a stone that I find in person at antique shops, etc as long as I'm alive; I'm just not as voracious about acquiring stones any longer.

I think I'm down to 6-7 coticles, three Thuringians of varying color, the Asagi, my Shaptons, all the DMTs, a Tam and some other naturals that are escaping me at the moment. That's an accomplishment for me!

Chris L

HAD in remission but enjoying his spoils!

I just got one of these on ebay and it's a bbw I knew it the moment I brought up my grape slurry. I have total of five bbw. 4 of which are natural combo's one is a man made combo. I guess I see now where it is that the seller latched on to the idea that he had a "Escher like" hone. Dollars to donuts it was this very thread.
Although if he felt it was a fabled brown Thuri why did he sell it so quick. How does the saying go "ignorance is bliss" I'll post pics as soon as my phone is charged up I'll place six hones all together, running the gambit between new and vintage(coloration is different) then I'll pull up a light slurry with a fine diamond so there will be no cross contamination.
Another truism is "the proof is in the pudding" the GRAPE pudding.

If it was listed as an Escher-like hone and has purple slurry, then just return it, get your money back, and give him negative feedback.