Sharpening stones.

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ged

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jul 16, 2009
4,976
13
In the woods if possible.
Hi all,

I have the opportunity to get of a job lot of slim sharpening stones, light enough to be suitable for carrying with you on a trip -- a few grammes. The stones are described below, the trade term is 'india file' but these are actually a cylindrical stone four inches long and one-quarter inch in diameter. There's a 'medium' and a 'fine'. I can get up to about 30 of the medium and 50 of the fine:

http://www.buckandhickman.com/find/keyword-is-india+file/product-is-267595
http://www.buckandhickman.com/find/keyword-is-india+file/product-is-267594B

I don't know the exact meaning of 'medium' and 'fine' here but I'm guessing at 100-200 grit for medium and 300-400 grit for fine. I've used something similar for touching up blades for many years. Used with care for the maintenance of well-kept blades and perhaps smoothing out the odd nick I would expect one to last pretty much indefinitely. I wouldn't recommend them as your main sharpening tool as they're so small, but if you're only going to tickle an edge now and then it would serve the purpose. As they're cylindrical they could be used to sharpen plain (straight or curved) blades, but not serrated blades.

The list price in the links above is just over eight pounds plus VAT each, but given sufficient interest I'd expect to get them for about half that including UK delivery. Note that the photograph in the pages linked above is of a half-inch diameter stone, not a quarter-inch. A half-inch stone would be four times the weight. The stones can be used wet (oil or water) or dry, but if used with water they should be dried carefully before being stored. On a trip they would probably need to be protected, for example in a survival tin, as they are quite brittle and could break if crushed in your pack. I have one half of a one-inch diameter stone that was left to me by my grandfather, he broke it in two when he was a lad but it still works. :)

Anyone interested?

Incidentally people from the USA need not apply, the stones are made there by Norton Abrasives. They're cheaper to buy in the states and it wouldn't make sense to send them back there anyway. :)
 

shaggystu

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nov 10, 2003
4,345
33
Derbyshire
i'd be interested in one of each of these please mate, you think we'd be able to sort a trade? your stove pouch is still on my "to-do" list, i've just been a bit busy with trying to get a business off the ground, much stress and confusion! but anyway mate, pouch for a couple of stones? what do you reckon?

cheers

stuart
 

ged

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jul 16, 2009
4,976
13
In the woods if possible.
...your stove pouch is still on my "to-do" list ... pouch for a couple of stones?...

Hi Stuart,

You have a deal. I suppose I'll have to order them now then...
But you don't get the stones until I get the pouch. :)
Did you understand my description of the measurements?

Right, that's it, they're ordered. 30 medium + 50 fine. Taking a bit of leap into the unknown, but several are spoken for already and it won't break the bank.
 

shaggystu

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nov 10, 2003
4,345
33
Derbyshire
Hi Stuart,

You have a deal. I suppose I'll have to order them now then...
But you don't get the stones until I get the pouch. :)
Did you understand my description of the measurements?

that seems perfectly reasonable to me mate.
measurements made perfect sense, i think, i shall get on with it asap.

cheers

stuart
 

ged

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jul 16, 2009
4,976
13
In the woods if possible.
I've been looking for some sort of a case for these stones and I've come up with a little plastic one which I think should be adequate to protect them if you stuff them in a rucksack pocket or something. They'd be 25 pence each. Stuart, you'd get a couple thrown in. :)

Worth getting?
 

Shewie

Mod
Mod
Dec 15, 2005
24,259
24
48
Yorkshire
How do you use these ged ? Is the file moved in a circular motion against the blade or can you do it with the conventional method ?
 

shaggystu

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nov 10, 2003
4,345
33
Derbyshire
I've been looking for some sort of a case for these stones and I've come up with a little plastic one which I think should be adequate to protect them if you stuff them in a rucksack pocket or something. They'd be 25 pence each. Stuart, you'd get a couple thrown in. :)

Worth getting?

well if they're costing me that much mate i'd say they're definately worth getting!

cheers

stuart
 

ged

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jul 16, 2009
4,976
13
In the woods if possible.
How do you use these ged ? Is the file moved in a circular motion against the blade or can you do it with the conventional method ?

As they're very small I'd use them by stroking the edge of the blade with the stone rather than running the blade along the stone as you would with a large flat stone. A similar motion to using a steel. This is really just for touching up an edge when you're on the move, you won't want to be cutting a lot of metal. I expect there will be some videos on U-tube, I'll take a look tomorrow unless someone beats me to it.

As these stones are cylindrical you will have a very small contact area between stone and metal, so only gentle pressure will be required and I wouldn't want to use a circular motion as it might risk curling the edge. To keep wear on the stone even I would try to use the entire surface of the stone by rolling it either during the strokes or between the strokes.
 

ged

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jul 16, 2009
4,976
13
In the woods if possible.
Hi all,

The stones arrived in pretty good shape. It was an end of stock line item so I was expecting a few to be broken and there were more good ones than I expected. 25 medium, 41 fine. There's a photo here

http://www.jubileegroup.co.uk/JOS/misc/sharpening_stones.jpg

which shows one of each stone, the cases I bought for them, and my Victorinox Swiss Tool for scale. The cases are tougher than I expected and should provide good protection, they can hold something up to about 170mm long (the stones are 100mm long) but protection from bending would drop markedly for longer items. One case will hold at least four stones. Not one, not two, not three, but four stones. :)

To my delight I found that because the stones are of small diameter they will even sharpen the serrated blade on the Victorinox. I checked them on a couple of other serrated edges, and I have only one serrated edge with serrations which are too narrow for these stones. The round stones are actually easier to use and seem to do a better job than my old pocket sharpening stone, that stone is a fraction longer than these and has an oval cross-section, it's a little coarser than the fine round one.

I'm not sure of the exact postage cost yet but assuming I can get away with ordinary letter post the cost for one stone and case posted to an address in the UK will be £4.20.

PM me with your address if you want any, I'll send PMs to those who have responded so far.

Milnius2, yours are in the post.
 

Jakata

Full Member
Dec 16, 2009
87
0
45
Northampton
PM sent but not heard back. Interested in one of each. Maybe 2 of each. PM me your paypal details and I can make payment.

Ta
 

ged

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jul 16, 2009
4,976
13
In the woods if possible.
Back in England after a couple of weeks away. I think I notified everyone who was interested in the stones privately but if I missed anyone I'm sorry. I don't like to advertise being away on a public forum in case burglars are reading...
 

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