Quote Originally Posted by clavichord View Post
Zino Davidoff, member of the italian forum, put to my attention some instructions originally coming with a Swaty hone and available online. I read as follow:

[...] Since the decease of the inventor Francis Swaty, Wahring-Vienna, who died on the 18th of Dec. 1888, his son Francis Swaty / chemist / Maribor (Jugoslavija) is the sole manufacturer of the alumine hone. These hone have a wide-world reputation since 1879 [...]

This document seems to say that the hone had been manufactured since 1879: I guess that an earlier starting point would have been mentioned, since this has always been a point to be proud of. 1879 is the same year when the factory in Slovenia was opened.

Maybe this document can exclude the hypotesis of an early production in Austria. What is confirms is that hones marked "Vienna/Austria" come from the first period of production dated 1879-1888 (and not later).
Take a look at the photo of the instructions and the inscriptions on the hones (both long Swatys) here and you'll see the info quoted above.