To find a Whetstone

Taking advantage of the long Thanksgiving weekend, my wife and I set out to find a whetstone, a large Hindostan.
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We had seen photos of it and decided to make a trip, a 616 mile trip. If that sounds crazy, it is a very large Hindostan, at about 30 inches long by 18 inches wide and 2 5/8 thick.
We made a few other stops along the way checking out other rocks, but this big guy was the one that brought us out. We had GPS coordinates for it and it was an easy find.
It was impressive, although needing a good lapping since it had weathered some being left out in the open for a long time, since 1844 to be exact.

Was the only purpose of your trip to see the Hindostan?

Must have been quite tough lapping it. Did the lettering affect honing at all? :p

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Originally Posted by Martin103

Was the only purpose of your trip to see the Hindostan?

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It was our furthest point from home on an EarthCaching (a type of geocaching that educates about earth sciences and processes) trip. We did extend our trip 180 miles to visit this particular stone. Its lesson was on the depositon of the silts that make up this stone from about 300 million years ago.

Not quite sure I understand, you made a whetstone out of someone's gravestone?

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Originally Posted by Hirlau

Not quite sure I understand, you made a whetstone out of someone's gravestone?

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Or.. He made a gravestone out of a whetstone..

I'll stand by for his response.

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Originally Posted by Hirlau

Not quite sure I understand, you made a whetstone out of someone's gravestone?

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My thoughts exactly. I too will wait for a reply.

But hey, there are all kinds of explanations. Maybe the dearly departed became a zombie and no longer needed the headstone and he sold it to get cash so he could go to the Dunkin' Donuts and get some sweets. I understand from Hirlau zombies are inclined that way. You'll have to ask him about this, I'm just repeating another post of his.

Randy

I'm sure that I'm missing something here, or the post was in jest.
I don't think that someone would cut up a headstone on an occupied grave.
He will clear it up or we will be forever wondering. :shrug:

Hirlau Zombies just wander the parking lot looking for dropped coins; it only takes $2.29 for an ice coffee.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Hirlau

I'm sure that I'm missing something here, or the post was in jest.
I don't think that someone would cut up a headstone on an occupied grave.
He will clear it up or we will be forever wondering. :shrug:

Hirlau Zombies just wander the parking lot looking for dropped coins; it only takes $2.29 for an ice coffee.

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There was not even a thought of cutting up this stone until, while counting the layers, I felt a tap on my shoulder. Turning around and standing up I beheld a pale, middle aged man in dark clothes, a Burnside's beard and a pastor's collar.
"I see you're interested in the whetstone marker there. I can sell it to you if you'd like." he stated with a surprisingly nasal voice.
I explained that I had no desire to own this stone, that my interest was in that it was an unusual use of a natural material more commonly used to .."Sharpen razors , yes, and a heavenly stone it is for the purpose!" he said, cutting me off. "I use a stone from the same quarry to keep a keen edge on my own razor. This is a fine example of the Hindoo stone, with tight, even graining and the lighter color that superior whetstones have."
I replied that's all well and good, however, I wasn't interested in owning a gravestone, as hopefully, my own needs would be many decades away. He chuckled at that, then gave me an assessing look before stating in an almost conspiratorial tone, "You could cut it up and sell it, get maybe 18-20 good sized hones. If I sold it to you for XXX you could surely make a handsome profit off of each."
Inwardly, I was appalled at the suggestion of vandalizing someones last earthly marker and remembrance, but decided to see how far he would take it, selling a stone that was not his to sell. Figuring that the collection plates had been lean for awhile, I set to haggling with him.
I lowballed him, explaining in detail the time and effort on my part to get them ready for a sale, not to mention I didn't have the saws, so would have to hire that out. I couldn't possibly make a profit unless he sold for XX.
"Wagh! That's not a profit you're after, it's a get rich quick scheme at my expense! Still... I could come down to XXxxxx."
After haggling a bit more, we came to an agreement. Shaking hands, I asked his name and he replied, "Clement.""Well, Clement, if you write up the bill of sale, I'll get the money from my wife, she holds the purse strings. By the way do you take debit cards?"
I walked over to where my wife had been watching, when she nodded in the old reverends direction. I turned just in time to see his image fading away.

Maybe it was his to sell?

Those stones are really cool until you find one that's been personalized -- with your own name.

Reminds me or an old Shaker Village that I went to in update New York or Mass. They reused old tomb stone in their laundry to iron on. Believe they used them for a walk way too. Interesting.