Thread: Hone I.D. please

I recently won this stone on the bay. It looked like this:


After I cleaned it and lapped the surface it looks like this:



It was as hard as, well a very very hard rock to lap. Has some "glitteryness" when the light hits it and is very fine indeed. It measures approx 7" by 1 7/8" by 7/8 (177mm by 47mm by 20mm).
I tried to raise a slurry with my thurringian rubber but I have a feeling any slurry produced came from the slurrystone rather than this hone.

I like this stone a lot, but what is it?

:edit: Thought I should add that I got this in the U.K.

Would you happen to have a link to the original auction? Knowing where the stone came from prior to arriving with you might provide a further clue to it's origin.

Kindest regards,
Alex

It looks beautiful, congrats! Though it is always difficult to judge from pictures - and as A_S, who is more of an expert in this field than I am seems hesitant, maybe so should I - to me it seems a Dalmore Blue (pic, pic).

Here's the link to the original auction: Old Razor Hone.Natural Stone possibly Slate. on eBay (end time 20-Sep-09 18:36:24 BST)

Although it says the stone slurries up, the seller seems to say that about all the stones they sell! (I just received another stone from them which turned out to be a Dragon's tongue, paid a bit too much for that (especially since I already had one!!)...that apparently slurries up too!)

Oldengaerde: The dalmore looks promising, although I wouldn't really describe it as blue. Having said that, the pics you posted don't look that blue to me either! Mine looks a little more like brown/green and yellow to me. The striping looks very similar though!

Here's a wet pic in case it helps:

Wow, you got that stone for a steal.

PS the DT does slurry, it just takes some effort.

Yes, that is a Scottish Dalmore Blue stone. A Belgian Blue is certainly not blue either so take the color description with a grain of salt. The Dalmore Blue is one of the most aesthetically pleasing hones in my opinion. For actually honing razors it's not one of my favorites.

The one I've owned was on the medium side of hardness and slightly porous and very slightly gritty. I got much more even edges off of a Belgian Blue Whetstone and would classify the DB somewhere in the same range as a BBW. Just my experience. The DB is a looker though, to be sure.

The Dalmore Yellow does not have the flowing striated appearance and the one I owned had a solid dull yellow surface. I found that stone to be largely unusable for razors. It's a coarse stone that has the sensation of being composed of compressed hourglass sand. Very gritty stone.

Chris L

Originally Posted by holli4pirating

Wow, you got that stone for a steal.

I thought so! helps to make up for paying £24 +p&p for a grubby DT:
Natural Slate Razor Hone. on eBay (end time 04-Oct-09 18:34:21 BST)

Originally Posted by holli4pirating

PS the DT does slurry, it just takes some effort.

True, I wouldn't have used "this slate hone does slurry up well" as part of the description for a DT though. It's hardly one of it's outstanding features! Maybe for a coti or thuringian perhaps. Maybe I'm being pedantic?

Originally Posted by ChrisL

Yes, that is a Scottish Dalmore Blue stone. A Belgian Blue is certainly not blue either so take the color description with a grain of salt. The Dalmore Blue is one of the most aesthetically pleasing hones in my opinion. For actually honing razors it's not one of my favorites.

The one I've owned was on the medium side of hardness and slightly porous and very slightly gritty. I got much more even edges off of a Belgian Blue Whetstone and would classify the DB somewhere in the same range as a BBW. Just my experience. The DB is a looker though, to be sure.

Chris L

This one is as hard as all hell. It ate many sheets of 240 grit w&d paper to get it lapped enough (there's still a small unlapped area on on corner, won't do any harm there though) and ate 400 grit w&d within 10 laps.
It was laughing at me all the time I was trying to lap it!
It seems at least as fine as my Muller's Thuringian to my relatively inexperienced honing hands and eyes. Gives me nice shaves!

Originally Posted by m0isty

Gives me nice shaves!

That's what counts. Stones in my small coticule collection vary from soft to medium to hard/glassy. Naturals do vary from stone to stone.

If the Dalmore Blue is giving you great shaves then you'll probably want to be on the look out for a Scottish Water of Ayr stone. Out of the Scottish stones, the WOA is considered the finest.

Chris L

Originally Posted by ChrisL

That's what counts. Stones in my small coticule collection vary from soft to medium to hard/glassy. Naturals do vary from stone to stone.

If the Dalmore Blue is giving you great shaves then you'll probably want to be on the look out for a Scottish Water of Ayr stone. Out of the Scottish stones, the WOA is considered the finest.

Chris L

I am.

It's a shame my girlfriend's Scottish family don't get along too well, or I might have some luck getting one for a sensible price!