Honing stone size ranges?

[Sean Rainaldi]

Hi

I am trying to get an idea as to size ranges of honing stones of all types and brands....

Anyone know what the largest honing stones are - in terms of length and width?

Also who makes the thickest - is it the King which is about 3 1/4" thick?

[Zach Dillinger]

About the largest natural oil stones I've seen are 12" x 3" x 1", but they are usually more like 1/2" thick. I can't speak for waterstones, but I suspect the natural stones are similar in size.

[Stuart Tierney]

Hi

I am trying to get an idea as to size ranges of honing stones of all types and brands....

Anyone know what the largest honing stones are - in terms of length and width?

Also who makes the thickest - is it the King which is about 3 1/4" thick?

Cinder block sized.

Seriously, I can go buy one tomorrow at the local home centre.

Or order in a natural one from Kyoto that large or larger. If you want one, bring money, a suitcase full should be enough. Maybe...


It's kinda like asking "how long is a piece of string?" If there's an established need for a large stone, then one shall exist from somewhere.


Stu.

[Sean Rainaldi]

Cinder block - that big? Can you post a link to one on line? Or do you know what brand or where I could buy it?

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

Wow. I don't want one or care about where I could buy one. But I kind of really want to see one.

[David Weaver]

Look up the words "too big karasu" on ebay.

There is a 20 pound stone with a fairly desirable pattern on it. It's about $1,000 per pound given its weight.

If you want a large stone like that, you might as well go directly to a miner if you can, and see if they will dig you something.

But stones that large are pointless for woodworkers, and even as synthetic stones go, the huge synthetics are more practical for a knife maker (a maker, not a sharpener) or a trade sharpener who hones knives as part of a manufacturing process.

[Sean Rainaldi]

Wow that's some $$$!

OK so is the general consensus that the largest and most commonly available stones at an affordable price - have around a 3" x 12" foot print? And the thickest are the Kings, at 3 1/4"?

[Joel Goodman]

I'm interested -- why do you want a giant stone? And assuming that the thickness issue is related to longevity -- that is related to grit size and binder. I believe a soft coarse stone wears a lot faster than a hard fine one.
BTW here's a link to 6" X (I think) 8" Norton waterstones in the standard grits --essentially "double wide" -- at Tools for Working Wood.
http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com//...egory_Code=THW

[David Weaver]

Wow that's some $$$!

OK so is the general consensus that the largest and most commonly available stones at an affordable price - have around a 3" x 12" foot print? And the thickest are the Kings, at 3 1/4"?

Leaf through Chef Knives to Go (Cktg.com) and look at nubatama and naniwa stones, and you'll find more thick coarse stones, though neither is probably as cheap as the kings.

I have no clue what nubatama stones are, or who actually makes them, I just saw that they make a lot of them large size (and they're in grit sizes that would make more sense for knife sharpening than woodworking).

I had one of the 12x3x1 halls stones. It wasn't flat enough to use, and i spent quite a long time working at least enough of the surface flat to use it.

I think stones in the 8x3 category are a lot more sensible for woodworking, as you have a better chance of using the whole surface (including the corners) to minimize lapping.

[Rick Fisher]

I have seen really long stones on video's .. Cant remember but I think it was on one of the LN video's.. Probably readily available if you contact someone who deals with the MFG ..

End of the day, I kinda picture these stones being made in larger slabs and the cut to size .. So you could probably request a long one if you wanted it.

[Stuart Tierney]

I have seen really long stones on video's .. Cant remember but I think it was on one of the LN video's.. Probably readily available if you contact someone who deals with the MFG ..

End of the day, I kinda picture these stones being made in larger slabs and the cut to size .. So you could probably request a long one if you wanted it.

Depends on the stone as to whether it's available 'big' or not.

Many of them come out of a mold that's about the same size as the stone, and to get a bigger stone means getting a bigger mold.

Got enough spare cash to pony up for 200 stones in that size, you can have them. Might also need to factor in the need for larger support gear to make the stone such as a larger kiln, larger presses, more stone material, etc.

Yeah, I'm in contact with the manufacturer, no I'm not going to ask again since I know what's involved in getting big stones made.

(And how pointless they usually are for most sharpening!)

Can't find a link to a pic of the cinderblock sized stones though. Folks who do those kinds of things usually aren't too interweb-savvy, and I don't need one of them big stones, so you'll have to live without for the time being.

Also know that they use these stones for polishing granite, and I live in an area known for working stone so that's why it's not unusual to have stones like that just laying about.

Back to setting chisels hoops here. In the snow...

Stu.

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

If only these stones were more readily available, I might be able to justify this honing guide.

[Federico Mena Quintero]

Speaking of going directly to a miner... I've been wanting to ask around in various mining operations here in Mexico, for all the good honing stones are imported. There are some nationally-made stones, but they only go up to about 600 grit. The imported stones are of course excellent, but uncomfortably expensive, and "it's just a stone", right?

Does anyone know what I should be looking for when asking around - like looking for mines of a particular kind of stone?