Thread: Could this be an Escher/thuringian stone?

Hi Everyone.
Just want to say how much I like this forum - been reading for a while and so now this is my first post. I've been collecting my gear slowly but surely and the other day I got two rather old hones from a friend who sells vintage collectables like old gas pumps and classic signage etc.. He happened to have these two stones which he got with a bunch of other items from an old barber shop that had closed down a good few years ago. Anyways, he basically gave these to me, and I'm pretty much certain that one is a Thuringian/german natural stone, as it is in a wood box with a blue label on the inside written in German about how wonderous the stone is and how it should stay clear of oil. It also looks just like the other Thuringian stones I've seen here on the forum - dark grey with a very fine mirror like smoothness to the touch.

The other one though, is what this post is about. It's a light grey/green colour and also comes in a wooden box. There is a place for the slurry stone which didnt come with it, and there is also a little label on the inside. I'm just not sure what kind of stone this is, I really think it's an Escher but just not sure, what colour do Eschers come in? When I lapped it with 600 grit water paper, the surface is really smooth as glass, smoother even than the German stone I just mentioned. The slurry it produced is very silky and clay-like, it also has a real nice earthy smell - like just after it rains.. Any help will be greatly appreciated..

Hi,
Escher is a brand, but that does look like my thuringian hones. The warning about keeping it free from oil seems consistent with similar labels found on thuringians. The stone experts will no doubt be along soon. If it is indeed what it appears to be, then it's a great find! Maybe lap it with something a bit finer though. What size is it?

Hi Ben, thanks for the input - I do indeed hope it is a thuringian stone, I did know that Escher is a brand name, just used it 'cause most folks here refer to these stones by that brand name..

The stone measures: 6 x 2 x 6/8 of an inch.

Thanks again.

Hi Halston, welcome to SRP! I wouldn't call myself an expert but I do have some of the Escher and one of the Thuringan stones. It looks like you have one. The Eschers I have came with labels glued to the stone.

The ones I have a labeled on the end as well being designated Dark Blue, Blue/Green, Yellow/Green, and Light Green. My particular Thuringan is a very dark blue. There were also Droescher labeled stones in dark and light colors.

If you are honing razors that ought to be a heck of a finishing stone. The only way to tell is to use it. If you want to resell it I don't know what to tell you as having no label you can't prove what it is.

I have seen labeled Eschers of the size you have go for $400 and I have seen them go for less then half. Like any vintage collectible the amount they bring depends on what day it is and who is out there looking for one.

Thanks, with this feedback I'm pretty sure its what I'm thinking it is, so I'm super excited about that. I got a few razors that need some restoration work done, but when I get to finishing on this stone I'll post the results. Thanks guys, helpful as always.

That's a hell of a good size for a thuringian! I've got two & the largest is 5" x 1" x 5/8". Sorry if i sounded patronising, but you never stop learning here & you never know what knowledge members have. I could do with a friend like yours!

FWIW, it is really hard to tell from a photo. Even in person unless you have a labeled stone to compare it to it is hard with the Eschers that are lighter then a dark blue. Your stone could be a blue/green or a yellow/green to my eye.

I spoke to about the best honer in the business about the performance differences in the various colors of the Eschers and he said that while there are differences they are subtle. He stayed with the blue/green. I know other guys find the yellow/green to be the cat's whiskers.

Of mine I have found that what he said was right. They are all good and the differences are subtle so you made out real good if you want it to hone with. If you don't have a slurry stone one of those pocket sized DMT extra fine diamond plate sharpeners will work well.

Hey Ben, no worries, you didnt sound patronising at all, I was just letting you know that I know...I'm feeling pretty excited about what I've got here, and for free - guess people dont know what they have, thanks again for the help.

Hi Jimmy,
Yeah the pictures are pretty true to life in colour, so it's more yellow/green. You say they generally have a label on the side, could this not have just come off, or have been peeled off? And the obvious question then is: if this stone isn't an Escher-type / Thuringian stone that requires a slurry stone and doesn't like oil... then what other kind of stone could it be? It's got very faint darker streaks on the side of the stone/cross-section which makes me think its a natural stone not a synthetic, and there are also very small irregular particles here and there, again making me think natural stone over perfect, synthetic stone. All in all I reckon since I got it with another true darker Thuringian, then heck, this has to be a green Escher-type stone... which makes me pretty happy indeed.

Originally Posted by HalstonJames

Hi Jimmy,
Yeah the pictures are pretty true to life in colour, so it's more yellow/green. You say they generally have a label on the side, could this not have just come off, or have been peeled off? And the obvious question then is: if this stone isn't an Escher-type / Thuringian stone that requires a slurry stone and doesn't like oil... then what other kind of stone could it be? It's got very faint darker streaks on the side of the stone/cross-section which makes me think its a natural stone not a synthetic, and there are also very small irregular particles here and there, again making me think natural stone over perfect, synthetic stone. All in all I reckon since I got it with another true darker Thuringian, then heck, this has to be a green Escher-type stone... which makes me pretty happy indeed.

Absolutely the labels do peel off on many of them. I would bet it is an Escher, Droescher or Thuringan. Use with water only and slurry if desired. A lot of guys just use with water as they feel it is a finisher and slurry is unnecessary. Here is a post with photos of a Y/G with labels.