Salmen Master Oil Stone.

[Charles Guest]

Charles; you must be joking with that recommendation of Neatsfoot oil.

Absolutely not. Works great, just not so good in an inadequately heated shop. If your hands crack in the winter it'll cure them in less than a week. Totally inert, not petroleum based. There's a lot to like about it.

[Charles Guest]

Concrete degreaser really obviates the need for heat, etc. It'll strip a stone completely free of oil and the original factory filling as well (for synthetics). Just mix it up in a bucket at the recommended dilution or slightly stronger, drop it in, and leave it for a few days.

[ken hatch]

Absolutely! I'd still be using were it not for how thick it gets when cold though one reads old references that mention putting it on with a stick. It would certainly cling to one if a little chilled. Guess it didn't bother the old guys. It has a feel that tends toward greasy but it certainly holds the swarf in suspension with no problem.

Charles,

Living in the SW desert I seldom have a too cold shop so no problem with thickening. I wonder if a little kerosine would thin it enough and still keep the swarf suspension.

BTW, sometimes folks can learn something with close reading of the literature, just saying.

ken

[Jim Koepke]

In reference to Neatsfoot oil:

Totally inert, not petroleum based. There's a lot to like about it.

I just can't get the image out of my mind of all of those sad faced Neats running around on stumps.

jtk

[Mel Fulks]

Stewie, if that Dalmore Blue was in the Salmen box I think it's got to be a mistake. There is a different box on Google pics
labeled Salmen Oil Stone that says in the corner "genuine Yellow Lake". And the pics of Salmon oil stones do not show the patterns of Dalmore. Dalmore is from Scotland and Yellow Lake from England or Wales. Dalmore is the more expensive stone. I think it's possible that family of deceased owner just put it in the wrong box.

[Charles Guest]

Charles,

Living in the SW desert I seldom have a too cold shop so no problem with thickening. I wonder if a little kerosine would thin it enough and still keep the swarf suspension.

BTW, sometimes folks can learn something with close reading of the literature, just saying.


ken

Not sure... might separate on standing. Worth a try though.

[Stewie Simpson]

Charles,

Living in the SW desert I seldom have a too cold shop so no problem with thickening. I wonder if a little kerosine would thin it enough and still keep the swarf suspension.

BTW, sometimes folks can learn something with close reading of the literature, just saying.

ken

Ken; I will add Neatsfoot oil to the list of other highly speculative lubricants that early craftsmen used on their sharpening stones. Like Whale Oil and Linseed Oil. Here's a modern twist from the Razor Forum, Shaving Cream as a lubricant. It makes your stones smell like its been freshly shaved.

Stewie;

[Stewie Simpson]

Stewie, if that Dalmore Blue was in the Salmen box I think it's got to be a mistake. There is a different box on Google pics
labeled Salmen Oil Stone that says in the corner "genuine Yellow Lake". And the pics of Salmon oil stones do not show the patterns of Dalmore. Dalmore is from Scotland and Yellow Lake from England or Wales. Dalmore is the more expensive stone. I think it's possible that family of deceased owner just put it in the wrong box.

Mel; compare the differences in packaging.

[Mel Fulks]

Yeah, Stewie, I was just musing. The Master Stone box says 'compare to diamond'. Cant imagine that would be the nice Dalmore Blue. The box could have held a carborundum ; so we could have a carborundum conundrum. I bet that "factory" wasn't much more than a bunch of day workers, abrasive belts ,and crate tables and chairs. One reason I say that is I remember a roofer telling me that the place that made slate roof shingles invited him to the "factory" some distance away.
He went, and later told me the factory was mostly day workers sitting on crates and splitting the slate with hammer and chisel.

[Stewie Simpson]

Mel; good luck with your unsubstantiated theories. You may want to do your own research into Salmen's history as a major trading house of quarried natural stones from across the U.K. (England, Scotland, & Wales, and parts of Ireland). Its not part of my role to fill you in on what has taken me a great deal of time and research to find out..

regards;

[Mel Fulks]

Stewie, not trying to change your mind. As you said one side looked different. Looking only at the other side most of the stone gurus here would say "it's one of the slates". But you looked at the other side and made a good decision to bid. And even today merchandise gets mislabeled. The stone can not "compare to the diamond" as the box says ,or you couldn't have lapped it with the paper you used.

[Stewie Simpson]

Mel; I don't give a toot what is inadvertently advertised on the outside of the box. I have clearly identified the stones type, its a perfect fit within the outside packaging, and the stones origin matches that within the known history of Salmen's as a major trader of u.k mined honing stones throughout England, Scotland, & Wales. The key principle areas within the U.K where quality honing stones were sourced from. In future, I wont be initiating any new threads on the subject of natural honing stones.

regards; and all the best to you and your family during the Christmas, new year festive period.

[jeremy j smith]

Mel.

I believe Diamond may have been a brand of vitrified hones, rather than the material. I believe both were used with straight razors.

Jeremy.

[Mel Fulks]

Thanks and welcome, Jeremy ;quite a bit of material to sift through on this. One of the pics shows top of cardboard box with "compares to diamond in hardness" (or something close to that). So that makes me think that the stone in it had to be carborundum rather than a relatively soft natural. But I could be wrong.