Thread: Has Anyone Ever Honed With a Lydian Stone?

In his 1890 Geological Survey, Griswold refers to the Lydian Stone, which is primarily used as a touchstone for testing the purity and quality of precious metals. However, in describing the stone, it is mentioned that it meets all the criteria of a whetstone, only having a much finer grit. The area of origin is given as Asia Minor, but given that the stone had been in use for a number of centuries before it was mentioned by Linnaeus, I'm willing to concede that the original source may be depleted. Just wondered if anyone had any experience with using this type of stone as a hone.

Kindest regards,
Alex

Yes , i have 3 lidyan stones - all amazing finishers . They are very consistant , fine and abrasive . They are something like ,microcristaline quartz or ultra fine novaculite - incredible and very hard stones . I am very happy with mines . Black Lydite is called "Touchstone" .Get one and finish a razor on it - you will not be sorry . Lidyte gives Extremely sharp and fine edge.

Cripes, just googled that and only found one place selling them - they might as well be made of gold for the prices they ask. €2.20 per gram weight!

IIRC, novaculite is used to test precious metals too. There's a thread somewhere on some forum about that. I'll try to find it.

Cheers, Steve

Hello RusenBG, could you post a photo of the Lydian honing stones that you have so I could see what they look like??? Please! Sonny082

Lydite is mostly quartz. it comes from those tiny organisms in the sea that die and their casts are silica. Radiolarians as I recall. It's kind of like Chert and sedimentary.

They also use slate for touchstones too.

Can you post a link of the site that sell them and also I want to see pictures too. Sounds almost like novaculite or jasper.

Here's the only site I found selling them:

Touchstones Lydian - VanDijk-Toetsstenen

I found some on amazon. I ordered on for the HAD of it.

yes those are the stones , jet black very fine and very hard . Mines are from the flea market and they are bigger 15 x 5 x 2 . Like gold checking stones are smaller but there are a bigger ones . Amasing stones. Need perfect lapping . My handsstill hurts from the lapping of the last one .
I have a vey bad camera and i have problems with pictures resize and posting .No money left for the camera ,i am chasing a new lathe for metal now , and 22 boxes of Sam Gawith -St. James , Full virdginia flake and best brown . Some golden glow also and Peterson University flake and perfect plug . I need to fill my reserve