Thread: Tam O'Shanter

Thanks for the info, guys!

Ah yes, the Dalmore Blue. I have one from Coully that I have not used yet. Thanks for the reminder!

Oh Oh Oh .... Dalmore Blue now I'm verrrrrry curious another scottish stone . ( I gotta get one )
Sort of embarrassing that I'm Scottish , live in the vacinity where these stones were made yet no nothing about them ....

I've only been using my TOS recently on some pesky razors and I have to say ok it's slow but I love the results..

Originally Posted by randydance062449

Ah yes, the Dalmore Blue. I have one from Coully that I have not used yet. Thanks for the reminder!

I'd be VERY curious to hear your thoughts on it when you do get round to trying it out Randy.

I like mine very much. But part of why I like it is just the size and convenience: I have a hefty 8x2 Dalmore Blue / Tam o'Shanter combo, and I use it all the time taking a razor off the DMT and really smoothing it before going on to an escher or coticule. I may be imagining it but I think I'm getting better edges from this sequence than from the simpler DMT-blue-yellow.

The Dalmore seems significantly faster to me than the TOS, and I'm wondering if with a good slurry you could even use it for a little bevel work, almost like a slow Norton 4K.

Hey guys, sorry im so late in getting in here..at the moment i am kinda incapacitated with my back..so lying flat in bed.

Here we go..

The title above is what we are discussing here, now I have a book here for reference about the stones and any other info here is what I gained from the mine owner.

The mine has been arouind for over two hundred years and was closed down in the late seventies early eighties. All stones now are cut from surviving stock. That being said the owner still sells mostly to the Jewellry trades AND us...lol.

These are still hand cut and smoothed the old way and all you guys who own them can back me up on this, the finish of the stones isnt perfect like todays nortons etc.

OK. From what I see written there is a bit of confusion regarding the name of the hones, as only three were really ever produced, but the sizes and titles were many,compared to what we are supplied with today.

I will be getting a definate confirmation of the names soon as I speak with the mine owner in the next day or so,as this has often baffled me.

These stones were shipped world wide at one point, to the americas,australia and of course supplied within the UK. The largest stone was at the time 18 inches long and was shipped to Texas, the also did the half-pipe shaped one for razorblades and it went to australia.

Anyways, I will be getting more of each stone, Dalmore Blue and TOS hopefully soon, I do still have a stock of TOS stones right now.


I doubt that this will have satisfied your thirst for knowledge but the book is called 'Ayrshire Hone Stones'

Regards,simon

18 inch hone!? Thanks for the info, Simon, and I hope you get better soon. Looking forward to hearing what the mine owner has to say.

By the way, I saw a hone on ebay a short while back called Dalmore Yellow. Any mention on it in that book of yours?

As this is my best reference and subsequently my only one, i have found that there was a yellow one which was more coarse which had the trade name Mikado and were supplied in small quantities from a yellow stone mainly in the form of gouge slip stones.

That was a small piece in the book but it didnt mention a Dalmore yellow.
Hope this answered your question.

simon

ps.the book is here

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-lis...1738965&sr=8-1

Thanks for the answer

Simon , many thanks for sharing the info .. as I mentioned earlier I'm curious about the Dalmore Blue ( sic:HAD alert ) ...

Hope your back gets better soon bud - my back gave me +18months of hell a few years ago it's never a good thing

Cheers Garry

As I mentioned the Dalmore Blue will hopefully arrive soon as Im awaiting my last order so thats been a few months...

thanks, simon