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I was just getting ready to sharpen some of my kitchen knives when I came across a hone I forgot I even had. It's a stone in a wood box and it has two different sides to it. Problem is, I see no markings at all. Might it be a Norton 4k/8k? Is there any way I can tell what kind of stone it is without markings?
Photos might help some of the veteran HADers help you identify it.
Good tip. Here:
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One side has reddish streaks...
I can tell you with 100 percent certainty that it is not a Norton 4k/8k.
+1 what Matin said. Not a Norton 4k/8k. But it does look like a very good stone which may be natural instead of man made! Can you give more info? How did you acquire it and when? What does it feel like when you run your finger tips across it (smooth, coarse)? Have you ever used it and if so for what purpose? What were the results of your use? Is the hone hard like stone or softer like a man made material?
Randy
I think it is a cool looking hone. Does it look like it has had oil on it ? All you can do it try it out. If water beads up it may have oil in the pores. Not necessarily a bad thing if it is an oil stone. Anyway ..... try it out and see how it works for you.
looks like a soft ark/hard ark combo
I bought it new many years ago from the Knife Shop - in Arizona I think. Yes there is oil on it because I bought and used it for knives. But I haven't used it much at all (obviously). I know there is a coarse and a "less coarse" side. I guess I'm trying to figure out if it's something I can use for straights. I was looking around at the Nortons (never got one). I'm very new to all of this and it will still be awhile before I try to hone. But it would be dumb to buy a new hone if this one is acceptable. I wonder if I could bring it to someone local to tell me what they think (by feel?)
its an ark and you would be better off with a norton, also the colored side of your stone is the soft ark side the pores of that side are cloged with swarf when using a soft ark for knives you must soak the stone in oil so the oil can penetrate into the stone to prevent the pores from cloging.
Interesting and thanks! When feeling the surface, I can say that it's a pretty fine texture. Feels very smooth.
Looking up Arkansas stone, I can see me paying those prices back then. I had to look up "swarf" :) I guess I'll keep this for knives and eventually buy a Norton when I'm ready to hone. Thanks alot.
Scrub it really good with a scotch brite pad and some dish soap/hot water. That should help clean it up.
