Does anyone know what stones were traditionally used as sharpening stones? I saw a local use a sharpening stone in Thailand and asked him what type of stone it was unfortunately he didn't understand a word I was saying. More recently, I saw viking sharpening stones in a museum display and they looked to be different types of stone. Can anyone shed any light on this for me please?
Natural sharpening stones
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Where I come from, the traditional stone used for sharpening knives, be it at the butchers or for the housewifes carving knife for the Sunday joint was either the front step or the window ledge.sodajoe said:
no help I know, but other than sword makers and knife makers and the like, Im sure that most people used just any stone they could find, so long as it did the job they wanted it to do.
Oh yes, some of the old windowsills around here are hollowed because of it. 
Archaeologically I know that hone stones can be anything from slate to sandstone. I suspect that the crucial thing is what sort of honeing you want to do, remove damage or true the edge and sharpen.
I've used whatever was available before now but I'm sure there has to be a scale somewhere (mol? hardness) that gives details of particular metals as well as stones.
The thing is that many now carry really expensive knives (Woodlore, bushcrafters? really?? noooo ) and if you're spending that sort of money, the few quid extra for a really good hone isn't heavy and well worth it just to save damaging the knife.
Cheers,
Toddy
Archaeologically I know that hone stones can be anything from slate to sandstone. I suspect that the crucial thing is what sort of honeing you want to do, remove damage or true the edge and sharpen.
I've used whatever was available before now but I'm sure there has to be a scale somewhere (mol? hardness) that gives details of particular metals as well as stones.
The thing is that many now carry really expensive knives (Woodlore, bushcrafters? really?? noooo
) and if you're spending that sort of money, the few quid extra for a really good hone isn't heavy and well worth it just to save damaging the knife.Cheers,
Toddy
Hmmm... I think there was a thread before about this, but I don't recall it going very far.
I just recalled, when I was a kid I lived near a very rocky beach, and I could easily find big flat rocks. Kinda blacky grey, often with a white stripe - dunno what they're called, but I used to use them for sharpening my knives, and if I could be bothered (I was only 7-8) I'd finish the edge with a bit of slate - we had an abundance of that lying around too, from what used to be a barn in our garden (resembled more a pile of rocks when we arrived).
I think the problem with most natural stones for sharpening is that there's rarely a constant grit... you can get a very fine stone, but inside might be a big shard of somethingorother that'll put a nasty cut in whatever you're trying to sharpen. if you're using a cheap knife and you really need to sharpen it, then I guess you wouldn't have a choice, but it'd be ill advised otherwards.
Anyway, the stone I mentioned above - black-grey with a white stripe - tended to work relatively well, and generally had a fairly consistant grit size, though it was a large grit size, so it wasn't for finishing.
Hope this helps!
Pete
I just recalled, when I was a kid I lived near a very rocky beach, and I could easily find big flat rocks. Kinda blacky grey, often with a white stripe - dunno what they're called, but I used to use them for sharpening my knives, and if I could be bothered (I was only 7-8
) I'd finish the edge with a bit of slate - we had an abundance of that lying around too, from what used to be a barn in our garden (resembled more a pile of rocks when we arrived).I think the problem with most natural stones for sharpening is that there's rarely a constant grit... you can get a very fine stone, but inside might be a big shard of somethingorother that'll put a nasty cut in whatever you're trying to sharpen. if you're using a cheap knife and you really need to sharpen it, then I guess you wouldn't have a choice, but it'd be ill advised otherwards.
Anyway, the stone I mentioned above - black-grey with a white stripe - tended to work relatively well, and generally had a fairly consistant grit size, though it was a large grit size, so it wasn't for finishing.
Hope this helps!
Pete
I have several sharepning stones including Japanese water stones and the pocket Fallkniven one flogged by Mr Mears. I was just very taken by they elegant and simple stones used both in Thailand today and by the Vikings centuries ago.
The Viking stones looked like lovely little trinkets and had chains attached to them so they could be dangled from belts. The stones looked to be a very fine grit any ideas what it could have been?
The Viking stones looked like lovely little trinkets and had chains attached to them so they could be dangled from belts. The stones looked to be a very fine grit any ideas what it could have been?
I know of slate, sandstone and granite but I'm sure that's not the extent of the materials used.
There's a report by Crosby and Mitchell in this volume
http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/ARCHway/toc.cfm?rcn=910&vol=14.
but I can't get into the article and don't have a copy to hand.
Wayland might be the best person to answer this, seeing as how he's a professional Viking
Cheers,
Toddy
There's a report by Crosby and Mitchell in this volume
http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/ARCHway/toc.cfm?rcn=910&vol=14.
but I can't get into the article and don't have a copy to hand.
Wayland might be the best person to answer this, seeing as how he's a professional Viking
Cheers,
Toddy
Arkansas sharpening stones are natural stone too. Most early sharpening stones were natural rock, but as has been said, the problem with most rocks is their inconsistency of grain size. Arkansas stones are mined from only one or two locations and are then graded carefully to determine grit size before sale. They are also cut and ground to have nice flat edges on them to start with too, this is another thing yopu are less than likely to find on a rock you pick up yourself. There's flat, and there's FLAT.
I've heard of marble being good for sharpening on too. I like the look of those jasper stones, they're lovely. If not for sharpening with then just to look at.
I've heard of marble being good for sharpening on too. I like the look of those jasper stones, they're lovely. If not for sharpening with then just to look at.
I think you're right, if we are talking about the same thing: "elfen bankje" in Dutch. Grows like a plate on dead treas, white of colour, slightly toxic!, thick and hard to cut. Maybe other (Dutch) members could clarify....
BTW I think its a protected species here...
Leather strop is also good. A modern one is you car window!!... interesting when in a remote/survival situation...
BTW I think its a protected species here...
Leather strop is also good. A modern one is you car window!!... interesting when in a remote/survival situation...
Might be why it's also known as "Razor Strop Fungus" perhaps.
I think it's properly called the birch polypore.
I think it's properly called the birch polypore.
Don't reckon they're the same thing mate, Horse Hoof fungi look basically like a horse hoof and there's generally some space between them... I've heard of elfen bankje though, don't they tend to grow in clusters? Might be good for sharpening too though, don't really know much about themRyan Woods said:
Might be wrong though, they could be the same sharp88 - yep, I believe he did use a sliver as a plaster
hmmm... y'might be right thereLongstrider said:
Thanks Mike! I'm not very familiar with dealers over there, but it'll be a lot faster and easier to get stuff locally.
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