Salmen Yellow Lake vintage
Just hit the button on this from the bay. The price was right soo I HAD to do it... ;)
I do have a number of stones that "I say" are unlabeled German water stones, but who really knows. Perhaps after this arrives I can use it as a reference in my collection for identification of the unlabled stones. I hope anyway..
Off to google more info.. :;)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...d5c8f0194b.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...886def9b53.jpg
Salmen Yellow Lake vintage
I have a question in regards to the comment about Eschers having quartz. Is that to say that only Eschers would have quartz? It was my understanding that Escher & Co sourced slate from different quarries in Germany. Being that every country has slate formations it's hard to believe Escher would be the only slate that would have quartz. Of course Escher picked the best of the best which is a given.
Not putting words in your mouth. I am just interested to learn.
Salmen Yellow Lake vintage
I think that is a marketing slogan "quartzite embedded in chalk"
Every thing I have read says that Escher = slate. Do you have a citation for this? Any info would be great.
Salmen Yellow Lake vintage
Yes I have many slate stones including blue and y/g Escher and several Thury's, I have other slate stones that are finer and leave a better edge others that are worse.....
Your right Eschers are great stones but only because they were hand picked, it has been proven that they sourced from several locations in Germany. Not just one hole in the ground, I am convinced that with the advances in mining operations that if it were profitable today many other hones could be sourced that would far exceed Escher. And in some ways it is happening... A well known UK fellow Is reclaiming used slate from ??? (could be old roof tiles for all we know). He has told me personally that he buys large quantities of slate, soaks them in water to check for iron oxide, rejects those that do.. then slabs them out and rejects the bad stuff. Basically he is doing the same as Escher did.. You can look at his estimates, the same stones are all over the place with grit estimates. (in his opinion). It's still just slate....... He is Escher Jr. LoL only because no one else is doing it...
FYI, timber tools can't change geology. It's still just slate I say. But I am no geologist,
Here is a great article on the subject, http://bosq.home.xs4all.nl/info%2020...ing_part_2.pdf
Salmen Yellow Lake vintage
Yes. slate is made up of high levels of quartz.
http://geology.com/rocks/slate.shtml
Slate is composed mainly of clay minerals or micas depending upon the degree of metamorphism to which it has been subjected. The original clay minerals in shale alter to micas with increasing levels of heat and pressure. Slate can also contain abundant quartz and small amounts of feldspar, calcite, pyrite, hematite and other minerals.
I think your definition is fine and really means nothing to how we use them. Let's not sweat over wording, let's talk about Hones.
So do you have any UK slate/chalk hones? If so how do you like them?
Salmen Yellow Lake vintage
I think any rock from any hole in the ground can be a great hone. It just has to have a few properties. Which as big as this earth is then its very possible there are many rocks that do. Of course some of them might be 30 miles under the crust of the earth...lol
1) fine particle size in loose matrix ( ie Escher). Or not so fine particle size in hard matrix. (arky)
2) minerals harder than steel
That's it, everything else is going to be end user preference. Forget names of rocks or location of quarry. They just have to meet the above requirements. (on a basic level of course).
Escher happens meet the above requirements and also the end user preference for most anyone.. A perfect combination...
Please do put some photos up, we love hone porn...
Salmen Yellow Lake vintage
Thank you for sharing, very nice UK hones, we already know you like your Escher the best. But what are your thoughts on these?
Salmen Yellow Lake vintage
Hatz, there is nothing wrong with slate, people spending $600-$800 from eBay need to justify it in their heads that they are getting something special and there is no way they can think it is the same rock that might go on a roof.
Edit: Here is a link to one of my other threads where you posted some great info about how it really works. And I use you posts as reference a lot. http://straightrazorpalace.com/hones...nives-ect.html
This is not an American translation issue, sorry I am being blunt, but it's true,
Salmen Yellow Lake vintage