Thread: Where Can I Buy A Real Escher or Thuringian?

I have recently come across a website that claim they have real Escher and Thuringian stones https://www.timbertools.com/cart.php
What I am looking for is an awesome finishing stone. If anyone can help me out I would greatly appreciate it thanks..

They are a real Escher only if they have a label that has not been added later. There are a couple known labels that are Escher stones sold by others. There are threads on this.

An Escher is a Thuringian stone and they come in many colors and honing factors denoted by the colors.
There are usually one or two on the Buy-Sell-Trade threads.

They are great hones but I would suggest awaiting the time when you can hone well to obtain one; and, since we now have synthetics that are a lot more stable and the grit is specified by a good maker, The price for a new person to honing could be a lot cheaper and perhaps more effective than buying an Escher. Any natural stone has a learning curve!

I am keeping the few Escher's that I have and enjoying some other Thuringian hones.
JMO, YMMV
~Richard

Well I do have Naniwa 12k coming, perhaps I should master that first, I just keep reading how spectacular a natural Stone finish really is..I am very interested in obtaining one

Read about the natural stones and wait until you learn how to produce a shave ready razor. My Naniwa 12k works fine for me.

A Nani 12k is an awesome stone. When it comes to naturals there can be variables. Not with synthetics, they are spot on almost every time. Just stick with the Nani.

And no matter how you hone it, in my opinion, the smoothness of the edge comes from good stropping YMMV JMO

Buy yourself a Naniwa 12K, it's probably the only finishing hone you will ever need.

If you are at the begining of your honing journey...this is what ibrecomend for you from personal experience.

Get a chosera 1000...a Norton. 4/8k and a naniwa SS12k
With this lineup you can learn how to hone properly, get nice edges easy and still find a spot in your honing lineup later for the stones.

2) learn how to hone....use marker on the bevels and spine...how and when to use tape...diffrent techniques.

3) get a razor sent out to be honed by a pro...a real pro...and send it in for various finishers...coticule...jnat...escher...sinthetics. ..hell you can even send it to get honed on the nani12k to see if you are getting similar results.

Send the same razor I. Every time to be able to compare with less variables.

4) find out what finisher you like.
Depending on skin type...hair type...technique used...shaving routine...etc...you may find out you like some edges better then others.
For me for instance after going trough hundreds of stones I narrowed it down to 3 types....coticules...jnats and Eschers.
Because I ha e a sensitive skin...tough beard...and I like my edges kind to the skin and sharp.

5) after finding out what you like....buy one.

Sure what I recomend requires patience...and throwing away some cash on honing services...but trust me...you will get out cheaper then buying a hone that you may like and not satisfying your curiosity before the purchase.

Good luck!

Originally Posted by Dieseld

A Nani 12k is an awesome stone. When it comes to naturals there can be variables. Not with synthetics, they are spot on almost every time. Just stick with the Nani.

And no matter how you hone it, in my opinion, the smoothness of the edge comes from good stropping YMMV JMO

I'll second this. For the first handful of shaves, 3 to 5, I can tell which of my stones the blade was honed on. For the next 15 to 20, they more or less feel the same because the strop has done it's work.

I have seen Thuringians currently being mined. But remember they aren't coming from the same hole in the mountain that a vintage thuri came from. Performance may not be the same, I've not purchased one yet and have no vintage to compare to so I can't opine.

There's also a person in the area that visits the original mine and takes home bout stones - irregularly cut stone slabs - left behind when the original mine was operational and flattens them for sale. Their performance should be comparable to a vintage stone.

If I remember, I'll post a few links when I'm home and at my computer to make locating them easier. Posting links from mobile is a pain.

Having just gone through the process of learning to get a razor shave ready on synthetics, then buying and learning lots of naturals, and moving back to synthetics... I can agree that most of the advice you're getting here is spot on.
If you really just want to hone your blades, it's hard to beat the setup of 1k Chosera, 4/8k Norton, 12k Naniwa. I find the Norton a little "chippy" so I wouldn't dismiss anyone who says there's a better mid range stone. But as already stated, when you buy a synthetic you know Exactly what you're getting.
Now, I moved to naturals because I find them very interesting and exciting to learn. So if that's your motivation then go for it! The good ones (i.e. real Eschers) aren't cheap and it's very unlikely that you'll stumble across a cheap one without many months of searching estate sales and antique stores. I myself have had great buys here on B/S/T and have gotten an Escher in a trade here that I absolutely cherish, so I can definitely recommend that route. On the other hand, there are usually decent Eschers on the bay... but there are usually some very suspect ones as well. My advice if you want to go that route is to educate yourself on what to look for in a real Escher. Then, before you pull the trigger, confirm with one of the more experienced members here that everything looks correct. There are several dead giveaways on "modern" thuringians and not-so-authentic Eschers.
Hope that helps. I've gotten burned before so hopefully this advice will save you from that trouble!

Originally Posted by Kkeeton53

Well I do have Naniwa 12k coming, perhaps I should master that first, I just keep reading how spectacular a natural Stone finish really is..I am very interested in obtaining one

Learn to shave well with a straight razor first and foremost. I have a 12K Naniwa and am not considering getting any other finisher. Consider the finest tools are only as good as the person using them. If you have no experience with a tool then it really does not matter if you have the best or second best because you will not be able to get the most out of either.

Doing research is laudable but don't get too far ahead of yourself.

Bob