I was digging around in my box of crap and found a Case Moonstone. Also called a arkansas stone. Could this be used as a finish hone for razors?
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I was digging around in my box of crap and found a Case Moonstone. Also called a arkansas stone. Could this be used as a finish hone for razors?
Those two names refer to two different stones, Case XX "moonstone" being a ceramic, ultra fine, and arkansas being natural noviculite. If it truly is a Case "moonstone" it will be pure white, no grain or markings.
It doesn't help that there IS a pure white ultra fine grained 'surgical' arkansas stone, very very rare and almost never seen commercially, and it would be almost indistinguishable from the ceramic. the arkansas stone would be denser/heavier but it'd be hard to tell otherwise.
And just to make it more confusing, 'moonstone' is a milky white semi-precious stone used in jewelry and hasn't anything to do with the above.
Yes it's a case moon stone, white with no visable streaks or grain. The question was whether this is useable as an acceptable honing stone, although sifting through a lot of old posts it appears to not be a favorite.
Pictures please :) Never heard of that stone before
Would this happen to be the same stone as the very highly regarded white razor hone that was found on the east slope of Hot Spring Ridge? It was also known as Chalcedonic Novaculite, but that name is based on physical similiarities between this particular type of Arkansas Hone and Chalcedony, rather than definitive petrology. I've been hunting for one of these for ages, without any luck, sadly.Quote:
Originally Posted by mitchshrader
Kindest regards,
Alex
Hmm...another interesting hone.
+1 on pics, if its at all possible. :)
Many thanks,
Mac
Ok here are a couple of pics, the honing surface is dirty from someone sharpening an old hunting knife on it. Sorry for the crappy lighting and pics, only have a camera phone.
It's an opinion from using one many years ago that it was between 1000 and 2000 grit, too coarse for a finish stone. Cleaned and lightly lapped, with water and some detergent for lube, you might make it work well enough to get you to a strop, but no bets. It would be for lack of a better tool, not cause you wanted to.
I would assume it's worth something to Case collectors though. I'm not a Case collector, so I have no idea how sought after it may be.
Chris L
Hi,
Is the stone pictured above a natural stone? Sorry for the thread necromancy.
Nope.
See post #2, the Case stone is ceramic. I'm assuming this stone is a sort of barber hone type thing?
A review would be good on both ceramic and natural one.
there is one on e-bay right now( not mine)
for those that might want to give it a try
From the description on the note that comes with the stone the one listed is manmade not natural.
After two pages of replies the answer seems to be try itQuote:
Originally Posted by Strikur
and report back. Trying it sort of depends on what hones
you have as backup.
I am convinced that in the right hands almost any
hone can tidy up a razor...
Tell us what you have to work with and compare it to.
My expectation is that with oil or lather and a light touch
you should be able to get a strop ready edge as long
as you do not over do and raise a burr. Keep the
number of strokes low and sneak up on what it can do.
The problem is that most of us are used to the results
from exceptional hones and strops pasted with sub-micron
products. What might have been good enough in 1901
is not what we expect in 2010.
Me I tend to try a total unknown on a good kitchen knife
first.