Thread: Never know what you get still dont.

Hi i would love some ideas on this new stone, its hard and very smooth with a waxy look to it i think its a natural but i could very well be wrong here are some pics the first is what it looked like when i got it and then some after lapping. It took an hour to lap it.Thanks for any info.

Looks like it could be a (Soft) Arkansas.

I was thinking along those lines but cant seem to match a picture with this stone ,there are some pics i have found that are the same as it but no real great ident.One that is the same is described as a antique natural arkansas turkey oil stone,i take it that arkansas turkey stone if it exists is different to an actual turkey oil stone. So any ideas to what grit level it may be if it is an ark thanks again.

As Matthew says: Seek, and ye shall find.

Man I swear I have the same stone, haven't tried it yet on razors as I haven't finished lapping it yet, personally from looks and feel while lapping mine, I don't think it is an Arkansas, but I am no Arkie expert,,, will take some pics and get them up soonest...

I too recently grabbed a stone on the bay that was all black as yours, but then I started to lap it and it looks identical to your second picture. I actually didn't get far on lapping as it was a PITA to lap and once I saw it wasn't what I was hoping for when I gambled on buying it I sort of gave up. My initial inclination was some sort of ark, but I'll have to lap it completely to see.

The joys of buying unknown grime covered hones. Sometimes it's like a Kinder Surprise: you never know what you are going to get.
I had a couple like that which despite being in home made hardwood boxes, were India Oilstones with Norton Stickers on the sides which were revealed once I had removed them from their boxes. Apparently they are a 4K level hone and capable of bevel setting. I never bothered to try.

Ok thanks for all the input guys .Here is what im going to try.Before i try a razor on it i will sharpen a couple of knives and see what it does for me and how it acts lets see if its a bevel setter or not.

Ok gave the knives a go and its not a bevel setter ,so i went through the grits and tryed it after the 4000 and it puts a good polish on the edge and shaves arm hair,more testing needed i do think it is a type of arkansas stone

what is the size of the stone it looks to be an ark anywhere from a washita to a hard ark and what did you lap it with ?

Hi the stone is 180mm /50mm laped it on a tile with 80 wet dry paper up to 300 i do think its a novaculite stone from what i read about the range of colours and its got a waxy translucent look.I have just honed two H.M.Christensen razors one off the cotical and then the chinese 12k and one off the cotical and on this stone but with water not oil i will shave test them both and see how different they are.