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I just placed an order at www.toolshop.de for a 200mm x 50mm "Natural Whetstone. I contacted their customer service department asking what knd of stone it was. Their reply was as follows:
"These are Muller stones from Thueringen"
Best Regards,
Stefan Muller
The price was $18.49 Eur + $16.00 Eur Airmail Uninsured to Nampa, Idaho
Am I getting the real deal? - or what?
Opinions?
Steve
It looks like the real deal to me but I do not have any experience with those stones other than seeing pictures. If someone can confirm that these are the same as the famous Thuringen stones then I will probably have to purchase one for myself. FWIW the MST stones that Wojtec is selling are very similar to the Thuringen stones.
Thuringen is a city. Muller stones, he says, are from Thuringen. Is it what is classicly known as a Thuringen Stone? Don't know! At $45 total for an 8"x2" stone it isn't that costly an experiment to try. It does get me thinking that maybe I should name my homestead "Escher". . . : )
Howard,
Very observant and a trick I fell for early on in my selling of these <g>. Their response does seem a little vaugue. Thuringen and the surrounding areas have at least 2 Muller firms (3 actually but that's a long story) selling abrasives and stones such as these. Some of these stones were indeed quarried in Thuringen, as were the Eschers. Other are billed as Natural waterstones and are sold from Thuringen. They originate in Hunsrueck Germany instead and are far less expensive but work just as well. They are not the same stone though and really should not be sold as such. They seem to cut faster but equally as fine. They are prone to many more inclusions though and my sellable yield was roughly half of what was imported. It pays to ask detailed questions first but as Howard says at the price you can't go too wrong (if you get a clean one).
In all fairness I am a dealer for both...real vintage Thuringens and the similar Hunsruecks. I do still have sources for the real ones but have no more of the Hunsrueck stones.
Tony
Tony, I was hoping you would weigh in on this question! As stones are now "hot" on eBay and other auction sites, there are a number of odd things going on. I fell for one a few weeks ago. The photo of the stone was a bit unclear but the box clearly said "Pike" on it and the stone did have a cream color on top and was darker on the bottom. It was also dirty. The guy didn't know about stones (he said) and couldn't tell me anything further. At $12 and $6 shipping I bought it, cleaned up the stone, and found a Norton combination stone (worth about $2 used). You win some and you lose some!
Also a few weeks ago I bought a gunked up ebay stone on a wood paddle for $8 and when I cleaned it up it turned out to be a yellow-green Escher. I'd been looking for one for my study collection but didn't want to pay $500 or so.
The lesson learned is that you can't really tell anything by looking at pictures on the internet.
Howard,
I agree 100%. Stick with known dealers who understand what they sell or go with a bargain that you won't be upset if you loose a little on. I've found some great surprises and have also been duped by a few that looked to be something they were not. With stones sales being hot as you say everyone is jumping on the bandwagon. Ask questions first!
The "stone on a stick" thing must have been popular. I got a nice yellow coticule on a ancient wooden paddle for $11 on eBay one day. The stone is set into a recess cut into the paddle and works really well. Maybe 1 1/4" wide x 5 1/2" long.
Tony
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tony Miller
Are you still? Haven't seen them for a while on your site nor as part of your signature.
Kees,
At the moment I am out of stock on the Hunsruecks. We had a $700 shipment go lost in transit in April and my supplier has been slow to settle. We are just now recieving compensation in the way of replacements.
I do have a vintage Thuringen on eBay now.
Tony
Great to read you got it all sorted eventually.