Thread: Need a couple hones ID'd

The first hone came in a wooden box and measures 7 X 1.75 inches and has a slate bottom. I do not recognize the grain. It's like olive green with shadowing. I've tried to photogragh as close as possible.

The smaller hone looks like a coticule on top although it is darker than the yellow one I now have. More greenish but same stone pattern.
The Other side does not look like my BBW. It is olive dram green with long skinny veins of black. This stone is 4.25 X 2 inches. I have not used either one yet.

Thanks for your help!!

Slurry ?????

Looks and smells tell you a ton....

The larger stone may be a coticule. I've had one that was an olive green and the slate bottom is common backing material for them. The smaller stone reminds me of a frictionite or other barber hone that has dried out as it were. Is there a label on the side that says something like 'use this side first' ? Kind of looks to be from the photo. Some barber hones seem to degrade over time and that is what the lines make it look like to me.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Slurry ?????

Looks and smells tell you a ton....

Glen... Can you expand on that for me?

I find that making a slurry with a DMT 325 tells me a ton about the stone...

Of course the more comparison stones you have the better it works...

But a Coticule has a pretty distinct earthy odor that is different from
J-nats or Thuringens (includes Eschers)

The color and consistency also is telling Coticules produce a milky slurry where a Thuringen or Escher is more sticky and granular... J-nats slurry varies a ton but the smell is different from a Coticule...

Even Arkansas stones and Chinese stones have a distinct type of slurry...

The barbers hones have 3 distinct "slurries" when you lap them, Brown/Red, Black, or Gray an it is very granular and like no other stone's...

Jimmy, Randy, and Sham are really good at this stuff they have seen about every stone you can imagine

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

The larger stone may be a coticule. I've had one that was an olive green and the slate bottom is common backing material for them. The smaller stone reminds me of a frictionite or other barber hone that has dried out as it were. Is there a label on the side that says something like 'use this side first' ? Kind of looks to be from the photo. Some barber hones seem to degrade over time and that is what the lines make it look like to me.

For what it's worth. the grain on one side of the smaller stone is the same as yellow coticule. It's the other side ( the last pictures) that I can't figure out.
I just went and tried the larger stone and for sure it is NOT a low grit stone. Wish I knew what I had.

Originally Posted by Zomax

For what it's worth. the grain on one side of the smaller stone is the same as yellow coticule. It's the other side ( the last pictures) that I can't figure out.
I just went and tried the larger stone and for sure it is NOT a low grit stone. Wish I knew what I had.

Lap the larger one or even wash it with a nylon bristle brush and it may be more easily evaluated. My frictionite is a light tan on one side and a darker tan, or light brown, on the other. It is 4 & 3/8 x 2 and has a label on the side that resembles the one seen in your last pic. I still think the large one is a coticule, some are green, and the smaller a barber hone. I may be wrong, I was wrong once before.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Lap the larger one or even wash it with a nylon bristle brush and it may be more easily evaluated. My frictionite is a light tan on one side and a darker tan, or light brown, on the other. It is 4 & 3/8 x 2 and has a label on the side that resembles the one seen in your last pic. I still think the large one is a coticule, some are green, and the smaller a barber hone. I may be wrong, I was wrong once before.

LOL...Thanks Jimmy! I like that.

side view of the stones ? please

Originally Posted by hi_bud_gl

side view of the stones ? please

Sure. And thanks. I've included a new stone as well (last picture). It also is dark green... and very smooth.