How To Evaluate & Identify Sharpening Stones Found "In The Wild" 

This came up in my feed. I'd recently purchased some precision ground tool room stones, and now have honing stone videos to watch. I'm blown away by how much you guys know about this.

you sir, know your stuff. really liked this video and others you have put out. many honing “guru’s” can learn from you, and should!

Thanks for the vid. I've never tested density that way. I'm going to have to look into it.

Very well done!!!!!!!

Dude, great video. Thank you and... MAKE MORE!!!!!

that coticule is gorgeous. I'm jealous of your collection!

Great idea for a video man. I've got a stack of these from the wild, but no idea what they are

That Double Diamond hone! WOW!

Carborundum stones are inexpensive but will abrade anything. They are extremely useful. The Carborundum Co. ones are good ones to have. The fact that they've been in production at an industrial level for over a century is an indicator of how useful they are.

Thanks

My favorite is the Arkansas Translucent. Such an underrated stone. The best part is that it pre-polishes with oil and mirror shines when it's dry. It also doesn't load up as quickly and wears so slowly that I've barely ever had to lap it. I've been looking for a surgical black in the wild but they're as rare as hen's teeth where I live. Havent found either of the belgians either.

I collect all stones new and used I clean them up and boy the colors are really nice I also flatten and reset the grit if I can . I even have a clay brick I put a 300 grit on one side. And yes it does slurry but it is a clay red brick. Ones with a label I don't clean so as not to destroy the label.

helluva Translucent stone you got there. Nice score.

Very cool 😎😎😎

Hi. Thanks so much for this. I’ve learnt a fortune from you. I need some help with identification of a natural stone. How can I get hold of you ?

I had washed all the stones I bought and was really surprised at what I got and the colors were unreal .

if you find a stone thats been only used for oil in 30 years , Then you come along get rid of oil from the outer service but oil is running through the stone would this have a dramatic effect on gravity weight,as water would be repelled from entering,

Question on specific gravity test -- are the numbers affected by the fact that the stone is full of oil? Like doesn't that make the dry weight more than it would be stripped? Does the suspended weight increase proportionally so the end number is still accurate? I have a couple I'm pretty sure are old Washitas both were between 2.3 and 2.35 sg but that was after degreasing

I've picked up stones in the wild, garage sales, estate sales. What grit silicone carbide powder do you use to clean up the stones. Thanks for all your information, it's a learning process.

Specific gravity is density. The reason the suspension tests works is that the specific gravity of water is one. So you are back calculating the volume of the item as a SG of one.

What is that Gizmo?

Thanks so much! I learned a shit-ton from this video!

Question: I have my Dad's stone. I'm 54 and remember it from when I was a kid. It is grey/ beige and has a good weight to it. it's marked HORTON combination oil Stone JBB. Also says bear with a pitcher or a Bear head.I lost the box it came in. Can you tell me anything about it?I'm going away this weekend and would like to sharper my axe/ machete/ hatchet and a few knives. I understand without seeing it it might be difficult. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated brother. 👍 P.S. you do sound like a geologist😅.

Hi, are you supposed to remove the label on that Pike stone or is that side not useable. I ask because I found an "Old Rook" brand stone that is tan on one side and dark grey on the reverse that has an "authenticity" label stuck on. I was thinking the sticker side might be a courser grit but am unsure. Good videos good sir and I learned a lot. Cheers.

How fine are the Indian Pond Mika Schist scythe stones?

Morphine, that's one of my favorite bands!

What is "slope glass" mentioned at 7:30 in the video?

I gotta stone that's a Grey with sparkle can't tell what it is

Stone guy, I'm from argentina. I require your wisdom identifying some stones I found in a really old house. I believe they were from a german inmigrant that came here around 1920, maybe earlier. I can send pictures and i do have a kind of "microscope" for my phone. Where can I send you pictures of them? Maybe you find them interesting. I could get their specific gravity if it helps.

God a beautiful green stone on Amazon. However, the wet saw that was used to cut it needs some maintenance.

You provide a lot of information about sharpening stones. Is there a way to determine the grit of a stone? Since most of your video involves subjective determining, I feel like there is no good way to objectively determine grit.

Dude....morphine is the tits.as of now I'm just a few minutes into the video but I suspect I'll hear your playing the whole album, and so I say unto you, fine sir, you earned a sub.

Maybe interested in Indonesian natural Whetstone?

Have you found any jnats in the wild? Japanese Natural Stones.

Are you willing to sell?

thanks for the video, the background music is just a bit too much

You can't hold the stone in water with your hands. there is no way to hold it perfectly still. you have to hang it from a hook or something stable with zero give. There is no way to test SG by hand.

Just tryin to help. Its not sili-CONE carbide. It is pronounced sili-CON.

I'd love to pick your brain sometime on where how you're finding these stones. But wouldn't expect you to give up any secrets.

Interesting vid topic, but I could only watch a portion as it was a strain to listen to you while trying to filter out the background noise.

This isn't the wild this is thrift

You're cranking on the coffee too much get to the point and make it worth everybody's interest so far I've seen nothing!!