Thread: Please help me identify these hones!!! :D

Hey all!

We had a woodworking show on today here in Perth and i thought i would have a look..I was not expecting to come out with a straight razor (Taylor 6/8) and several old hones lol

Anyway, If anyone can identify the following stones it would be appreciated. All the stones have just been lapped! Photos are after lapping.

I have no idea if these are worth anything but they cost next to nothing so if they are no good no loss really!

The first stone: This looks like some sorta natural stone, its a bluish greyish color (the photo makes it look more blue then it is) and feels like glass to touch and seems quite hard! it produces a white slurry and has a earthy smell. 185mm x 35mm



The second stone: This looks natural, its a grey color and again feels like glass to touch! This ones seems very hard and smells sorta like my Japanese naturals. It produces a grey white slurry. 70mm x 195mm x 20mm



The third stone: This stone looks natural, you can see natural lines in the stone, its grey color and feels like glass to touch, possibly one of the smoothest stones i have felt! This is softer then the other stones and produces a very soft grey white slurry. To look at it, it reminds me of the C12k but its much softer and smoother. It has a very earth smell. 125mm x 40mm x 15mm


The fifth stone: This is a very wierd looking stone, it reminds me of granite. its grey, dark grey, white and everything in between. I tried to get some shots of the stamps but i couldn't read them. This stone is very hard and quite smooth, not like glass but still very smooth.

Also i found the following cheap stones but they are nothing special, for the few bucks i didn't want to leave them though lol





The razor should restore nicely! Taylor 6/8.


And not to mention my new lapping plate! weighing in at 13.5kg or 30 pound, Its very heavy! lol


Oh it was a fun day!

I have been playing stamp on the third stone, changing the contrast, inverting it etc and this is what i have some up with, i don't know how correct it is...

Trademark The celebrated registered
Tam O Shanter Stone
XXXXXX cold, medai???
London International Exhibition 1835
For Excellence on quality of stone

I Think i found it on here: Vintage Tam O'Shanter Natural Hone Stone

"This is a good example of the finer type of Tam O'Shanter hones from Ayrshire in Scotland. Estimates of grit size for these hones (in reality grit size cannot be used for natural stones, but people estimate it as the means of comparing stones) vary from 6000 to 9000 grit (the lighter examples, especially the white ones, are of higher grit equivalence), and I would say that this particular stone is at the higher end of the scale. It is quite a quick cutter with good feedback and gives a good edge - followed by a chrome-oxide pasted strop it gives a decent shaving edge. Perhaps its greatest virtue is the way that it deals with blades that are prone to micro-nicks during honing - using one of these hones on such blades has always helped me effectively hone such blades. It can also be used with a slurry to promote quicker honing (note that it does not come with a slurry stone, however). I usually raise a slurry with a fine diamond lapping plate - it only needs a few laps."

If i can get 135 pound for it, its just paid for the lot and I'm laughing but i think i might keep this one!

you have a Tam O'Shanter, the first pic looks like CF.
I can't say anything about the other naturals.

you have a Tam O'Shanter, the first pic looks like CF.
I can't say anything about the other naturals.

Whats a CF?

CF = Charnley Forest

Originally Posted by Brighty83

Whats a CF?

charnley forrest.

I just googled a few Charnley Forest hones and they seem to have red in them, this just has almost black or dark grey\blue

Heck of a haul ! +1 to what has already been said as far as ID is concerned.