Thread: Hi woodworker from NC with a pretty purple stone

Thanks again you guys,

I'm more confused than before about what it was that I found, but i guess it doesn't really matter what it is. I also just got some new Mora carving knives that are super sharp right off the shelf, but not sharp enough to whittle with, a burr... Should I consider using this stone after lapping it with a Naniwa 220? Should I use it first on older knives first to burnish it?

The hard black I have is a small multiform slip type for carving tools. I'm intimidated to use it on the carving knives, cause I have only partially lapped it and it's small 2X4 or so.



Euclid 440,
Thanks for the post. My stone is not labeled a Lorraine, I just figured it was by the flickr images and the research I did last night.

That looks like a really pretty stone, but looks like it'll need some work.

Originally Posted by rodb

Many of us are hone addicts on here...lol!!
It looks to be a nice Belgian hone with can be used as a pre-finisher and some have used as a finisher (depending on the stone). If you are looking to sharpen tools mostly, research vintage Norton synthetic hones, the competitive Australian wood cutters LOVE those things, I would guess that and using a Ark black or translucent as a finisher would give an outstanding edge on tools

Thanks RobB, I spent a lot of time researching the axe thing. I think my local vintage tool shop had one of those, and a frictionite. I'm going back again soon to double check... WOW!

A bit of 220 grit wet/dry sandpaper atop a sheet of heavy glass or ceramic tile should lap it fairly quickly. No need to burnish it, only hard fine Arks need that.

Originally Posted by Wirm

A bit of 220 grit wet/dry sandpaper atop a sheet of heavy glass or ceramic tile should lap it fairly quickly. No need to burnish it, only hard fine Arks need that.

Interesting thanks Wirm, I alredy lapped it with a Naniwa 220 lapping stone. So it should be good to go.

I've learned the hard way that some natural hones (Arkansas in particular) will kill a DMT diamond plate. I only use sandpaper now. If the Naniwa lapping stone is like the Norton lapping stone, many natural hones will cause damage to it as well but it can be lapped flat again

Originally Posted by Carabnr

Interesting thanks Wirm, I alredy lapped it with a Naniwa 220 lapping stone. So it should be good to go.

What, you passed on a frictionite?

That is nice finisher, it would be great for knives and tools. Of course, they can be pricy.

You do not need to burnish the Blue/French stone, just lap smooth with a 3-400 grit stone, diamond plate or Wet & Dry paper. It will lap easily. Just get it smooth. The 220 should be fine.

Hard Arks, Translucent and Blacks need burnishing, for, razor performance or max polishing for knives and tools. But for knives and tools you may not need it. Just a smooth non burnished finish on an ark, will leave a toothy edge on tools and knives which is what you probably want for carving wood.

For shaving we burnish to give a smooth edge and comfort for shaving. A 4 inch stone is plenty large for tools and knives, of course larger is better.

If you have a good 220 stone, set a bevel and burr on the 220, polish on the Blue/French. If you are doing a lot of knives and tools, look in to a Dual grit Diamond plate. Chef Knives to Go, has a great 3X8 in 400/1000 grit Diamond plate for 35 bucks.

It will make quick work on putting a great edge on knives and tools then finish on the Blue/French. It will also lap your stones.

You do burnish a hard Ark before using it on wood working tools.
A toothy woodworking tool will snag on the wood either damaging the wood or causing the tool to jump and damage the user.
Even hand saws are slipstone honed after sharpening with a file. And rip hand saws are stropped afterwards to remove any burrs off of the sides of the teeth.

I am talking about a high grit toothy edge, not serrated.

Arks work well on wood working tools, I do not use a burnished hard ark for honing woodworking tools.

A lot depends on the tool, the wood and the application, not all edges need to be at absolute sharpness at the expense of longevity.

For thing like cabinet chisels 1k diamond is plenty sharp, for plane blades 1k diamond and polish on 4k Norton and possibly 8k Norton, for carving chisels I buff on red rouge, or green greased compound on a, 4in sewn cotton wheel.

Thanks for the advise guys, I struggled last night with sharpening a bent knife with a singed square tip. I tried to hammer it flat and worked it down with some indias and washita to a transparent. And yards a tam o shanter on the curved side bevel. A little disappointed at how mugged up it was as a new Mora knife

If you are doing a lot of small knives, you might look at some of the sharpening jigs, like Edge Pro and others.

There are tons of good stones for them now, even diamonds for repair work and you can put on a perfect, repeatable, very keen edge in a few minutes.

There are may good post, on the knife forums.