Sharpening Stone Help

[Miguel Ortiz]

Hi, I have a set of stones I found in a flea market... They were really dirty and I cleaned them up in boiling water. Now, I use water on them but doesnt give me any slurry. When I soaked them, they suck up lots of water and as soon as I take them out, water disappers. So, are these water stones or oil stones? What grit are they. the blue and beige stone seem really fine and the gray one is kind of coarse. Your help is greatly appreciated... You can check out my GOOGLE + https://plus.google.com/u/0/10322619...ts/endgMBQ8vEo for more pics

20130715_154120.jpg20130715_154355.jpg

[David Weaver]

Just guessing that the dark/green one is probably a common green silicon carbide stone. No clue on the rest of the. They are all probably waterstones, as the oilstones that are out there, we know about:
* novaculites (like common oilstones)
* Fine hone slates of the welsh type, if one prefers oil on them
* coticules, most people use water on coticules, though - they can be used either way
* turkish stones (you will never or almost never find them)
* english novaculites (those are usually a 70s greenish color)

The reddish stone looks similar in style to the old razor hones, but it does look a little more coarse than a razor hone.

The light bluish stone looks like some kind of hone slate. Do you have any way to raise a slurry on them?

[David Weaver]

I just looked at the bigger pictures, I can't really tell what any of them are, but I don't think any of them look like hone slates. Doesn't mean they are not, but they appear to have a more gritty appearance.

The red and green ones appear to possibly be natural stones.

[David Weaver]

If you haven't gone to straight razor place yet, take your pictures over there and post them. There are a lot more international members on that board, so if those stones are natural, there's a greater chance that someone on that board would be where they originate. The use of stones on this board is pretty much restricted to a narrow group, and the razor fanatics are more likely to pick up stones for novelty and see all kinds of types.

Google straight razor place if you need to find the link, this forum is over the top and around the bend about not making it easy for users to refer to other forums.

[Miguel Ortiz]

Thanks for all your help David...