Identifying Stones

[Don Kingston]

I f you walk up and a few new oil stones are sitting on a table next to a few new water stones, how do you tell them apart? Or what are the different characteristics? On a different note a cool hand tool demonstration while building a log cabin in Alaska. I think less than 15 minutes. You tube. Title: Alone in the Wilderness. The man is Dick Proenneke. Video put out by swererboh. also has a part 2 about the same length. To me it is great stuff. Hope someone else likes it.

Don

[David Weaver]

unfortunately, the answer is that it's easier to identify oilstones vs. waterstones by having experience with both. If they are fresh and new, the only thing you'll probably come by in oilstones that is not natural stones are india and carborundum stones. India will be orange to red or brown and silicon carbide carborundom type stones (might be branded "crystolon") will be black.

If you put a drop of water on most new stones, you'll be able to tell that they are pre-oiled if they are oilstones.

If they are natural (novaculite) stones, you might find that they are not pre-oiled, but you can just do a picture search for soft arkansas, etc, online to find pictures of new novaculite stones - the soft stones are usually white or something close. Hard stones can be anything. They all have a characteristic look, though.

Waterstones can look like just about anything.

[Don Kingston]

OK thank you. I have some someone gave me a while back and just pulled them out the other day. I now believe they are oil stones.

[Winton Applegate]

I f you walk up and a few new oil stones are sitting on a table next to a few new water stones,

I never walk up too them. They can hear you coming and will more than likely have time to set up a defensive perimeter. Always best to come in from above, parachute deployed on a new moon (no moon) night.

how do you tell them apart?

Taste.
Just suck on them for a while and you can tell the oil stones from the water stones . . . no question.


I agree about the video. As I recall he was a retired diesel mechanic. Some accident involving his eyes made him re think things and get the heck out of Dodge.

Reminds me of me . . . during one of my Walter Mitty moments at least.

[Tony Zaffuto]

A true stone conundrum and one worthy of wasting moments while coffee is brewing. First, David already addressed pre-loaded stones (pre-oiled, and not born drunk), so I guess we have to assume the stones are buck-azz nekid.

As Hildebeast has already shouted "What difference does it make"? I would suppose a soft arkansas or a waterstone, brand new and new used, would cut with either oil or water used as a lubricant (putting aside any comments on how well it will cut). A brand new, translucent hard arkansas may work pretty well with water, as the hardness would like a thin cutting fluid. Maybe a waterstone will last longer (albeit cutting poorly) with a thick fluid, such as gear oil.

A new business may be born in relabeling of stones and selling in such a manner to fill in gaps of other stones: soft arkansas used with oil, 2000 grit waterstone used with Marvel Mystery Oil and a hard, black arkansas used with water. Buy, and package as a group in special boxes obliterating original markings.

Coffee is ready, bye.

[Winton Applegate]

Well . . .
Queenmasteroftheuniverseandbabybunnytrainer is making coffee for me so I have a spare moment to “contribute” further . . .

Here is what came to me in a FLASH, as if from Bob, burnt across the clouds in a fiery display of over zealous pyrotechnics . . . .

Do you have an A2 blade ? Of course you do. That is about the most common cool guy blade material out there right ?
So
Here’s what you do using water, or nothing, since it would be a waste of effort to use oil on a water stone and then have to clean it out; take the A2 blade up and down each stone, one at a time, like you really mean it and you are in a hurry to get the blade sharp so you can finish that last built in and the house is on fire so there isn’t a lot of time to fool around.
You know . . . like that . . .

after you go at it for a while on the stone for all you are worth . . .
stop, open your eyes . . . and listen to the blade . . .
listen to the stone . . .
look at the stone.
If the blade is laughing in a sinister and condescending way
If the stone is whimpering and crying and saying “No more, stop, oh please just kill me”
and
when you look at the stone and there is, not only, hardly any or no black metal swarf but the stone is all shinny and polished where you been doing your dirty deed . . .
well then brother . . .
. . . that there is natural material oil stone.

If
on the other hand you go at it on a stone in the same shameless and unforgiving way and
The BLADE is all polished into a nice proud facet,
The stone is reclining back and smoking a cigarette in a satisfied and happy reverie
and
there is a whole lot of black stuff all over the stone
well sir
. . . you got yo' self a synthetic, and I say that with all due respect, water stone.

In any case, once the smoke clears and the shrapnel stops raining down, you are going to have some nice door stops and paper weights and some useful sharpening stones.

Ohp . . . time to take a sip.

I’m pullin’ for yah . . . we’re all in this together.

[Cody Kemble]

Well . . .

I’m pullin’ for yah . . . we’re all in this together.

Quando omni flunkus moritati!

[Winton Applegate]

Quando omni flunkus moritati!

Ha, ha, ha,
That reminds me of a particularly awful thing I did, in response to a particularly awful thing that was done to me.

A "friend" was attempting to freak me out by driving way too fast down a mountain road in New Mexico. Now I mention New Mexico out of respect and to point out one thing about the state; particularly about the state troopers; they DO NOT look leniently on speeders and they have a great deal of time at their disposal to communicate that fact to said speeders.

It wasn't long until my "friend" was pulled over. While this was going on I decided to play dead in the next seat.

I had my eyes shut but I distinctly recall the officer ask said driver of the vehicle why they were shaking so much.

Ha, ha, ha.

I wonder what would have happened if the driver would have Quando omni flunkus moritati!

[Tony Zaffuto]

Since the mass quantities of last night's grog and the aftertaste of cigars linger about me, clouding off much needed oxygen to permit proper responses to the past few pasts, and having season 2003 on non-stop circuit on the DVD, all I can offer at this moment is that manufacturers of all stones color all natural stones red and all waterstones green.

I shall now take leave of this 'putuer, takes some ibuprohen along with a klonapin to help me lapse into a healing slumber.

[Winton Applegate]

Red dye and green dye

I like it. You got kind of Christmas thing going there. I like Christmas.
Wait.
I can't agree just like THAT.
What am I thinking. Not fully awake yet. Kind of the same physical condition as you except
completely different.
So
I suggest . . . I mean DECREE . . . yah . . . DECREE (that sounds good to my sleepy and coffee starved brainlet).
anyway lets make 'em Blue and Red
Then we can set them up on a board or field or some such and well . . . this YouTube shows how great it could be . . .
EDIT LATER THIS SAME DAY :
I better get rid of that link and so protect the faint of heart from . . . oh . . . I don't know what . . . and just say
Google : first episode of Red v.s. Blue on YouTube
Edited for reasons of language that may offend (but keep you laughing for the day).

PS: try a different link if it does not load quick. Some versions take for ever.

PPS: Queenmasteroftheuniverseandbabybunnytrainer just said she wants a fridge magnet that says
edited for language
you will just have to see the vid on YouTube but the gist
is
Wooptie F. D. or WFD

[Tony Zaffuto]

I like it. You got kind of Christmas thing going there. I like Christmas.
Wait.
I can't agree just like THAT.
What am I thinking. Not fully awake yet. Kind of the same physical condition as you except
completely different.
So
I suggest . . . I mean DECREE . . . yah . . . DECREE (that sounds good to my sleepy and coffee starved brainlet).
anyway lets make 'em Blue and Red
Then we can set them up on a board or field or some such and well . . . this YouTube shows how great it could be . . .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BAM9fgV-ts

But if the woman don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.

[Don Kingston]

[QUOTE=Winton Applegate;2282593]



I agree about the video. As I recall he was a retired diesel mechanic. Some accident involving his eyes made him re think things and get the heck out of Dodge.

there is another video or 2 about him that are pretty cool and informative. yes on both of these. Dick Proenneke Twin Lakes Talking Circle Media is another good one.

[Joe Tilson]

I am glad it's July and we don't have to hear this stuff in June anymore, but alas, I am afraid it will begin again this month too. I have had my coffee today and this is still......

[Tony Zaffuto]

What stuff???? Did I miss something important?

[David Weaver]

I think he's complaining about all of the forum swarf