Thread: Catalogue of Hones Based on Area of Origin.

Originally Posted by Alchemist

Very interesting material. Any images to go with this text?

In attempting to learn more about these hones my one major grievance was that learning more about these hones wasn't commensurate with my coming into possession of any of them. Therefore, in most instances, I don't have pictures to go with the text. Also, I'm completely clueless when it comes to photography and I wouldn't know how to post pictures even if I could take them. I will try to link through to pictures of these hones if there are any available online, but unfortunately, my ability to include pictures is limited.

Regards,
Alex

USA

Arkansas

Hot Springs, Garland County
Arkansas and Ouachita stones. In the 1920's the stones were processed by the Pike Co. but are now processed in situ. Arkansas stones are the finer type. Available in a number of different grades including: Soft Arkansas, Surgical Black and Translucent. Mainly used for sharpening fine-edged tools.
Ouachita stones have a history of use for coarse sharpening work, being less dense than the Arkansas

Indiana

French Lick & Northwest Township, Orange County
About forty-five years ago a bluish white whetstone, which now bears the name, 'Hindostan,' was first placed on the market. It came from a town of the same name in Martin county, Indiana. The town, which was situated near the White river, has since passed out of existence. A stone similar in structure to the Hindostan, but differing in color and hardness, is also to be found in Indiana. It is called 'Orange stone;' it is of a light buff shade. The fact that it bears the name of the county in which it occurs most abundantly may account for its title. At present nearly all the Hindostan and Orange whetstones come from Orange county. Quarries are to be found at French Lick Mineral Springs, between 2 and 3 miles from West Baden, in French Lick township, and in Northwest township, about 8 miles from the French Lick quarries. Both these varieties of whetstones are in places found in the same quarry, but occur in different ledges. The rock is decidedly stratified and splits with great readiness into large sheets.

At times the whole ledge, from 10 to 20 inches in thickness, is raised by means of steel bars and wedges. More frequently sheets from 5 to 6 inches in thickness are cleared off. These sheets are again split to the desired thickness. Some pieces of rock can readily be severed into layers not having a thickness of over ¼ inch. After the stone has been brought to the proper thickness it is marked off into pieces of the requisite length and width my means of a straight edge and scribing awl. The stone is so soft that the awl will penetrate it sufficiently of it to be readily broken. The stone is now worth one-half of its price when finished. Finishing on iron wheels with sand, and boxing complete the cost of manufacture. Between the ledges of good stone is generally found from 6 to 10 inches of soft shale. The whetstone varies in hardness. That at the surface is usually much softer than the rock underneath. The harder variety makes the best stone for use. At fissures in the rock is found what the quarrymen call ironstone. This contains, as its name indicates, a large quantity of iron, sometimes in the form of limonite, but more frequently as brown hematite. The presence of the iron ore prevents the rock from crumbling as readily as it does in the ordinary Hindostan and Orange stones, and hence makes a very fair finishing stone. It is, however, apt to become glazed after some use.

In French Lick township, about 7 miles south of the Hindostan and Orange quarries, are found sandstones which are quarried for dry whetstones. These stones are sold principally to shoemakers.

During the year 1886 about 400,000 pounds of Hindostan and Orange stones were quarried. The prices for the Hindostan stones, according to J. A. Chaillaux, of Orangeville, and William F. Osborn and T. N. Braxton & Sons, of Paoli, Indiana, are as follows:


Michigan
Novaculite, Carp River
"The novaculite however, of Carp River, is superior to any article which has fallen under our notice, not excepting the Arkansas, Turkey or Scotch stone, for producing fineness of edge." "The quality of the stone is said to be excellent." History of use as a razor hone.

Missouri

WM Enders Co. St. Louis
Retailed the Oak Leaf Razor Grit Oilstone. Light blue colour. No other information.

New Hampshire

Lisbon, Grafton County
A blue/ chocolate schist was quarried in this area. Known as the Chocolate Hone, it was only quarried intermittently. Mainly used by fishermen.

Pike, Grafton County
Owned by the Pike Manufacturing Co. The stones were worked at least as far back as 1825. Fine-grained, highly siliceous mica schists, reportedly the finest of this type found in the world.

New York

Lake Labrador, CortlandCounty
Labrador Stones from this area have a history of use as whetstones.

North Carolina

M'Cauley's Quarry, near Chapel Hill
"The most valuable bed is about seven miles west of Chapel Hill, at M'Cauley's quarry. It is on the summit of a hill, one of a northeast and southwest range composed of chloritic slate. The honestone occurs in distinct perpendicular beds. In color it is a soft olive green, looks like horn, and on thin edges is transparent. It acquires smoothness and hardness with use and is best adapted to carpenters' needs, though sometimes employed as a razor-hone.

McPherson's Quarry, Chatham County
Five miles west of Woodin's ferry on Haw River. The stone is lighter colored, softer and has a finer grit (than the Chapel Hill Hone), probably fine enough for razors.


Ohio

Chagvin Falls, Cuyahoga County
The Deerlick Stone was quarried in this area. Most likely a fine-grained sandstone

Waverley Geological Group
Berea sandstone quarries are the largest sandstone quarries in the world, and the stone itself is famed for it's even texture and lack of impurities. The best layers of Berea Grit were saved for making world-famous grindstones which required a smooth and even texture, neither too soft nor too hard. These layers also had to be completely free from cracks, flaws, foreign objects, or hard spots. Furthermore, stones to be shaped into grindstones or whetstones had to be easily split into the desired sizes.

Euclid Stone
Blue, very-fine grit sandstone. History of use for Butcher's Knives and Penknives.

Queer Creek Stone
Hard dark-grey medium coarse sandstone. Used as a waterstone for coarse sharpening.

Rhode Island

Ananias Mowry Farm, Smithfield
Whetstones from the quarry on this farm are described as being of "very excellent quality."

Vermont

Evansville Quarry, Orleans County
Worked by the Pike manufacturing Co. Yielded stones very similiar to those quarried by Pike in Grafton County, NH.

Missouri

WM Enders Co. St. Louis
Retailed the Oak Leaf Razor Grit Oilstone. Light blue colour. No other information.

never knew this is oil stone
will test soon.

Originally Posted by hi_bud_gl

Missouri

WM Enders Co. St. Louis
Retailed the Oak Leaf Razor Grit Oilstone. Light blue colour. No other information.

never knew this is oil stone
will test soon.

The stone I saw was a much paler blue, and the labels were on the box, not the stone itself. The WM Enders Co. made a number of other objects, so I think your's is most likely a barber hone and not a natural.

Kindest regards,
Alex

Im from indiana and have been on a search to find those orange stones and hindostans. I have only found the info you have posted though. I do have an enders oak leafe blue as well. Ill have to try it with oil. When I used it, it cut very quickly. Maybee ~3k grit?

Derbyshire

As well as having a massive scythestone industry, a number of hones and whetstones were quarred in this county. In History and Gazeteer of the County of Derbyshire, Glover, lists stones from the following areas as having, "a close, fine and sharp grit". Alton, Bolsover, Codnor, Heage, Pentrich, Sandy-Brook and Woodthorpe. Glover also mentions that ironstones from Codnor and Woodthorpe are used as hones. There is also a "whetstone-layer" in the East Derbyshire/ Nottinghamshire coalfields. The Produce and Manufactures entry in the fifth volume of Magna Britannia says that the very finest whetstones from the region, used for honing razors, come from Conor-Park and Woodthorpe.

How interesting to know that the town of Bolsover, the villages of Wingerworth and Woodthorpe, only a few miles away from my home were once producers of hones. Then i looked around , as you do, and found that in our county there was once around 138 quarries with 7 of them producing fine stones for honing a razors edge.

Some good reading there for holiday destinations

ian

Again, who is putting this into the Wiki? As a thread in the forum, it is mostly useless, because nobody will find it.

Regards
Robin