Thread: Jade hones which I would like to see be made into scales

I posted a comment about G10 jade ghost scales wondering why not use real jade and made an offer to send my two unused jade hones to be cut into scales well if the upload worked this is what you would be working with.

first a little description, these two hones I bought last year they were supposed to be 4k/8k combo the white and green one and a 12k+ the solid one. frankly I don't like them they are just too hard and no feed back what so ever.

Hard stones are not bad because they are hard but softer stones are easier to use for beginners till they develop a light touch.
Are they smooth in use eg don't feel any of those visible inclusions ? Are they fast cutting ? or slow as a wet week? I've never used or even seen a jade hone. Interesting.

They may not work as scales as a certain amount of flexibility is desirable as the tapered tang works thru its range of travel & well, they are rocks

Oz, they are very slow cutters and no you don't feel the inclusions at all . very very smooth I think the added fact that I only use water and not oil which I think these are probably designed for doesn't help much.

About the flexibility ya I could see that being an issue. one member who works with stone asked me if he could play abit with them cut em down and keep a set of scales . sure why not have a try I wont use them for anything and I can always get more.

JADE?!

Wow...Where'd you get them? How much were they? I'm so intrigued. Who ever thought that Jade would make a hone?

One thing...I know it was just a passing comment, but remember--Natural hones are never, ever designed for anything. They aren't intended, not made, not anything else involving some kind of teleological plan. They are found, and tried. Oil stones are oil stones because lots of people have used them and said "Hey, these work pretty well with oil." The same with water stones.

You may as well forget the idea of making them into scales as they wouldn't work. I too am interested in where I could obtain one or two of those jade hones.

If it works I would like to see it. I don't know enough to say it will or won't work, but it would look interesting. I too would like to know where you got those as they look interesting.

You could do it, but you'd need to mount the jade on a liner, and divide each scale into something like 3 sections, so there wouldn't be any pressure on the rock itself. They'd be heavy as hell, but still would look really nice if done right. Maybe something like this that was done with a fossilized bone--

Bill's Straight Razor Info: Making Scales 101

I bought them off the Chinese shopping site called taobao ( this site on one day alone made more money then all of the business going through hongkong)

The seller has lots more these cost me I think 600 rmb or 90 usd for those of you that are curious.

all different qualities I am sure as many as there are qualities of jadeite.
I think they are used to hone chisels.
I have two jade working factories near my house and I can tell you most work is done with electric tools but some of the finer detail work is by hand.

I have no tools and no space to put them sadly enough.
As to the weight I can imagine they wouldn't be light and most likely really only balance well with a heavy wedge but if it could be worked out i am sure the whole east meets west razor look would look cool specially if the scales were carved.
In addition to that imagine the price a thing like that could command on the Asian market..

shayne

could you tell me the diminsions on the hones. I really think that it is very possable to make scales from them. jade is usually a very hard rock and i really dont think that it would be too hard to work with, it really just depends on the length of the rock as well as the scales for the razor. the one gentleman said you would have to back them and such and i think he is right because you could support the stone as well. the really big issue is that the length of the stone and the thinness of the rock would put pressure in the middle of the scales, to combat that a pin could be inserted into the middle of the scales to provide support as well as to provide for appropriate spacing for the razor itsself.

spencer

spencer,

they are 8 inches long 1 inch thick and 2 inch wide the combo is the same but the jade half is half as thick.

perhaps some of you have seen chinese women wearing jade bracelets the solid round ones. the conventional wisdom is even if they fall down most likely the bracelet wouldnt break. they look kinda frail (the bracelets not the women) but its really tough material I think.