Thread: Natural stone identification!!

Neil and Adrspach, thank you for that , now i really will take the time to lapped the stone. Im glad to hear it, always fun to play
with finishers!!!

Yeah, I'm with the general consensus here. One reason which hasn't been mentioned, I don't think, is the very matte looking finish of the stone when it's dry. My LI, when its dry, doesn't look to the eye (and also somewhat to the feel) as fine as it really is. However, put some water on it and it slicks right up... put some honing oil on it and it turns into a Jedi. Also, if you read all the old literature, it always says that Llyn Idwals are/were often confused with CFs. I don't think that means that all LIs can be confused with all CFs; I think it means that there's a small subsection of LIs that can be confused pretty easily with a small subsection of CFs. Mine, for instance, looks like the bastard son of Piet's far right and far left hones. It's that deep, deep green, but it has a more pronounced black speck pattern. I don't think mine could really be confused with a CF too easily, but if you take most of the speckles out, like Piet's on the far right (or yours, for that matter) I can definitely see how they could be mistaken with the dark green CFs. The only reason I'd guess it to be an Idwal is that it looks from the pictures to be more greyish than greenish, if that makes sense.

Originally Posted by kamikazeproject

Yeah, I'm with the general consensus here. One reason which hasn't been mentioned, I don't think, is the very matte looking finish of the stone when it's dry. My LI, when its dry, doesn't look to the eye (and also somewhat to the feel) as fine as it really is. However, put some water on it and it slicks right up... put some honing oil on it and it turns into a Jedi. Also, if you read all the old literature, it always says that Llyn Idwals are/were often confused with CFs. I don't think that means that all LIs can be confused with all CFs; I think it means that there's a small subsection of LIs that can be confused pretty easily with a small subsection of CFs. Mine, for instance, looks like the bastard son of Piet's far right and far left hones. It's that deep, deep green, but it has a more pronounced black speck pattern. I don't think mine could really be confused with a CF too easily, but if you take most of the speckles out, like Piet's on the far right (or yours, for that matter) I can definitely see how they could be mistaken with the dark green CFs. The only reason I'd guess it to be an Idwal is that it looks from the pictures to be more greyish than greenish, if that makes sense.

I do have to agree with you that there is "overlaping" part of the identification. That is reason why i am trying to learn more about history of these hones and their original quarries as that will help me to be better in their identiffication.

Originally Posted by adrspach

I do have to agree with you that there is "overlaping" part of the identification. That is reason why i am trying to learn more about history of these hones and their original quarries as that will help me to be better in their identiffication.

I'm with ya. I've seen a lot of debating back and forth on this site, sometimes, about what a certain stone is. When it comes right down to it, in the simplest explanation; these things are freakin' rocks... from the ground.... go outside and pick up two rocks from your driveway, they're probably the same kind, and they'll look completely different. It's like the picture Piet posted; I'd say all those rocks came from the same place, but they all look different, and some of them look so different that I'm sure some people would get into heated debates about whether they're from the same place. Bottom line? Unless it's got a sticker on it, sometimes you'll never know. My dad has worked in quarries his whole life, and I spent a good amount of time working in them. One thing I've learned is that if there's a type of rock formed in one part of the world, there's the the same type somewhere else.
Somewhere on this vast planet, there's a big chunk of rock that's almost the exact same as the red/green swirl CFs; and if and when someone ever finds it, there'll be fistfights between people trying to say which mine it's from. hahaha

Well im done lapping this stone that was quite a task at hand for sure, using diamond plate two different grit got the job done,
always under running water!! Didnt count how much time i spent lapping but it was a lot!!

Originally Posted by Martin103

Well im done lapping this stone that was quite a task at hand for sure, using diamond plate two different grit got the job done,
always under running water!! Didnt count how much time i spent lapping but it was a lot!!

How easy was it to chamfer the edges? I ask, because mine was a pain to lap, but didn't take much at all to chamfer... it just kinda struck me as odd, so I was wondering how yours did.

Originally Posted by kamikazeproject

How easy was it to chamfer the edges? I ask, because mine was a pain to lap, but didn't take much at all to chamfer... it just kinda struck me as odd, so I was wondering how yours did.

Actually the entire stone was difficult to lap, but i did it a little at a time. That said didnt have time to try it out yet, hoping all that work lapping will pay off, and i must say out of all the natural stone i have this one feels the best.