Thread: Can You ID this British Hone?

I got this hone recently - it was saturated with oil but soaking in a solution of bio washing powder for day and a half has got rid of the oil. It came in a fancy hardwood box, long and narrow, hinged at the narrow end. The hone measures 8.0 x 1.75 x 1.25 inches, and was mounted narrow-side-up in the box. The box looks like the sort of thing you's see in the 1900s - someone took an awful lot of time over making it!

It is a dull pink red with darker patches and a lot of glittery specks (mica? quartz?) in it. I am 99.9% sure it is a natural stone, a bit like sandstone but very hard and firm, not given to releasing sandy particles during honing. I can see some faint evidence of strata in it - just.

It cuts very slowly and leaves a scratch pattern deeper than a King 1000, so I am guessing that it is at least half that grit size.

It's composition is very reminiscent of the Dalmore Yellow I had: tiny particles bonded together with an open or porous appearance. The DY was predominatly yellow with flecks of pink-red, black and white. This one looks just the same but reversed: predominatly pink-red with flecks of yellow, black and white.

I took some close-up pictures of the surface, very much magnified:



1. You can see the chamfered edge I added - it took ages to lap!



2.



3.



Any help/ideas would be appreciated!

Regards,
Neil.

I'm no rock expert, i'm afraid, but those photo's are so close they made my eyes go funny! Might be worth putting one up of the bigger picture?

Good idea Ben - here it is:



Regards,
Neil.

"Norton India Stone" keeps popping into my head. But, that can't be right if its a natrual stone.

Was the box maybe re-used from something else, and the original owner married up the stone and box?

Nothing about this stone strikes me as natural. Norton India stone are my thoughts also.

Very nice box.

Looks like granite to me. Is it soft or hard?