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The dark shiny crap is most likely boiled linseed oil. Old time woodworkers used it on everything.

...and yeah, I'm newish to natural stones. Not new to wet shaving or most wet shaving forums in...

I suppose I ought to post the before and after pics.
https://i.ibb.co/Hg4XMHq/cartoon1674020296566.png

https://i.ibb.co/mb23HFQ/cartoon1674342824405.png

I see lots of sellers insisting that their oil coated black brick of a hone is in fact, a razor hone.

What do you guys do? Take the gamble and buy it? Talk them down, get them to clean it and send...