old hones, image heavy

I discovered these hones in a box of barbering supplies I recently purchased. Gentleman was shaving professionally from the 1920's to 1940's. I don't know the first thing about honing except what I've read, but it seems like these are some nice finds.
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...s/DSC03512.jpg
I think this crack is fantastic aesthetically, and am guessing has no effect on the honing? I read up in the wiki, and this looks like a natural coticule/bbw? The size is 2" x 3.5 x 0.5""
The other side: how concerning are the scratches?
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...s/DSC03511.jpg

A bigger version of the same type of stone with a concave top as well. Is this from misuse, overuse, a special use, or no use? This stone is 7.5" x 1.25" x 1.25 to 1.5" with a corner clipped off.

http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...s/DSC03502.jpg

A strange brown half-pipe shaped stone stamped Japan on the bottom with Japan written on one side. Seems more like brick or clay or something molded into shape to me. 3.25" x 1.5", between .25 and .5 thickness.

http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...s/DSC03509.jpg

and this one seems darker in person than the photo. Dark grey, 3" x 2" x 1"

http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...s/DSC03505.jpg

It looks like a pretty good find, though the big coticule's shape seems strange. The small brown stone's shape is obviously intentional, for double-edged blades? Let me know your thoughts and expertise, I'm dying to learn more about these ol' rocks ;)

The first three pictures are a vintage coticule, you are right! Enjoy ! :beer1:

Does anybody know what would cause the large hone to have such a convex top? It seems like that would take hundreds of years to do with proper honing technique, and the curvature would make it far more difficult to maintain a good honing angle. Though I've only ever sharpened pocketknives and a machete or two with a coarse brick of a stone. Is lapping called for? is the thinness of the yellow section mean the stone's life is limited?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dotanuki

Does anybody know what would cause the large hone to have such a convex top? It seems like that would take hundreds of years to do with proper honing technique, and the curvature would make it far more difficult to maintain a good honing angle. Though I've only ever sharpened pocketknives and a machete or two with a coarse brick of a stone. Is lapping called for? is the thinness of the yellow section mean the stone's life is limited?

---

Those hones are made that way for safety razor blades, not straights.

The last one could be an Japanese hone? Maybe asagi?

the second hone is for de blades

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kingfish

The last one could be an Japanese hone? Maybe asagi?

---

I'd doubt the last one is a Japanese stone simply because of the time these were in use. If a natural it is more likely to be a Thuringian, albeit it is a strange size in that it is square.

OP - what are its dimensions?

Possibly a slurry stone for a Thuringian or Escher.

Anyway, nice lot of stones you have there. I hope you put them to good use and cherish them!

Nice coticule.

I would need more information on the large light gray stone. It's impossible to tell from the pictures whether it's completely smooth and non-porous like the coticule, or, is it a porous stone? Putting water on the stone won't always prove porosity since the stone could have been used with oil or lather.

An extreme close-up would help.

I have a stone identical in color somewhere. However, it's a very fine grained sandstone, it's porous and soft. It's useless IMO for razors since it's a very grainy stone. It freely releases the fine grit which you would think would be a good thing (slurry); however, the grit even though fine for a sandstone, is still large in razor terms.

Chris L