Thread: My "Water of Ayr" Scotch Hone

Yep, thanks to ebay I'm now an owner of a big Water of Ayr hone, 30.5 x 6.5 x 2.5 cm.

Nice big stone - just pipped me to it! I just scored a combi Tam/ WofA from my old home town - Ayr! I got a section in the Ayrshire Post a couple of weeks ago with my search for Ayr hones on it - got a few kind folk from the area giving them up to me. I have had to put up with ribbings from my brother and friends, who still live in Ayr, about my ugly lathered up mug with a razor stuck to my face all over the pages of their local rag.
The book by Tucker goes in to some detail on these stones - Simon has quoted from it previously. It interests me so much as I used to play in the river as a child where these were mined and walked down the banks past the quarry with my first 'real' girlfriend 25 years ago. She came from Trabboch, literally 1 mile away. I really want to pick up one or two of the Mauchline ware boxed paddles - they had a partnership with the hone mill re combining products. These boxes were often adorned with Burns Country scenes etc., I have a small one that I keep stationary things in. I lived round the corner from Burns Cottage most of my life and used to drink in the Burns Monument bar far too often. It will be nice to own and hone with these. I will just keep my eyes open.

Good luck and if I were you, on reflection I probably would not cut that in two. Nice to keep such a long stone in one piece.

cheers
Stephen

Congrats on scoring a Tam/WoA combo, even at that cost

I agree about cutting it up. When I had won it I was seriously considering cutting it in two, but now I have it and seen it it seems a shame, so I'll keep it as it is for now. It's going to be clunky when I lap it though.

Bjrn...had I heard you were going to cut it in two I may have just caught a plane to come knock on your door....lol...
I return to an earlier conversation with some one else...these should be more costly than eschers....they are a damnsite harder to come by thats for sure....congrats on the win tho....i missed it...lol...

Have fun with your TOS, simon

Guys, keep me posted on your results with the WOA stone. I have an 8x1 and I'm not certain exactly what I think of it. On a couple of razors it seemed to bring the edge down a bit, not as sharp as an escher or coticule. And then on another I got great results. It does seem to require 100+ strokes to get anywhere with it.

I'd really like to hear others' feedback.

I've been looking for one of these as well for some time. Congratulations. And I thought Gugi's recently scored vintage yellow coticule mated with a Belgian Blue at 9" was a long stone. 30cm for this Water of Ayr?! That's a gosh darn foot long!!! You'll be able to knock down that 100 passes Dylandog needs down to 50 on your stone..

Chris L

Water of Ayr stones are so scarce that I have never seen one. It is far easier to find a Silkstone than a WOA. You guys in Scotland definitely have an advantage.


Enjoy,

Wow.
Anyone remember when Belgian hones were hard to come by? This is a whole new level of rare.
BTW anyone remember, was it a WOA stone mentioned as being used after the coticule at Dovo? I remember there was another hone used, but do not remember what type it was from the old Norbert Schick video, or somewhere I remember seeing the information.


John P.

If you want a WOA stone, Sutton Tools UK have them, amazingly !!
Sutton tools is a Jewellers supply place in Birmingham.
I asked what sizes they have, the gentleman on sales had a look and 'ummmed and ahhd', I said oh!,what the hell, whats the biggest you've got in stock? I bagged a 6inch X 1inch square.
£23 excluding vat and a couple of £'s delivery.
On a side note, he said they are waiting delivery on more stock from the mine!! I said nothing!
I ring the mine nearly every morning and get to talk to British Telecoms answerphone
BTW The sizes on their web site a not representative of what they have/had/will (ha ha ) have, or so he told me.
The link bellow (but I'd ring them to see what is left)
Sutton Tools Water of Ayr Stones

Love M

Here is the mine
Its the last picture.