I don't have any handy, but a few drops of hydrochloric acid would confirm or disprove it being limestone.
Life has been frantic and stressful for the last couple of weeks while traveling. With that, I still find the time for a new flea market to try my luck. And a wee bit of luck and and some new stones I found. A 4” Washita, a 4” and 5” trans Ark, a very handsome 7” Coticule. I usually pass on waterstones, I see Kings all the time. But for the first time, a minty looking vintage Suehiro Deluxe 6k with wood base went in my bag. The Coticule is something don’t see in the wild everyday. A freckled and spotted dog Coti. A nice 7 x 1.5 inch stone. Seller was very apologetic for the ink spilled on it. Told them I would take care of it. A little less stress for a few hours
My Naniwa 5 K Super Stone Arrived Today from Holland...This is the 20 mm Thick One...My Thinner 10 mm 5 K Stone has Been Taking a Hammering So I Went for a New Thicker 20 mm Job... Billy..
We all know that somedays you eat the bear and somedays the bear eats you, especially in Japanese auctions. See post #56, I’ve checked that size 60 out, and it’s really a total loss, which is rare. It’s thick, it’s a good size, it’s super smooth, it’s very likely a Nakayama, and its an uncommon and desirable ‘chocolate’ color. And it’s full of unstable bubbles, circular ‘bias’ cracks. You can poke at the edges of them with a toothpick and they crumble, releasing chunks of material. There are too many to remediate and they go all the way through the stone. But I did get a good signature line out of it, which is actually true!
Any way you can get a closeup??... Is there a way to use a very thin epoxy, to fill in, and stabilize the holes??
I think that I can get an image, but stand by ... No, there isn’t any way that I know of to stabilize this many features that can release chunks, wish there were! Plastic and lacquer don’t penetrate into these ‘lines’ or ‘cracks’ because they are too thin, the lacquer doesn’t penetrate and after a lapping it’s all gone.
What about bees wax. I thought I read somewhere about beeswax being used to stabilize stone/wood sometimes. It would fill any holes no?
I’ve never had any luck with lacquer, etc on this type of ‘feature’, the only thing that works is removing the unstable material with a fiberglass brush, scribe, etc. There isn’t any ‘hole’ or void space until the edges let go a bunch of rubble into the slurry. Some of it breaks down I’m sure, but some wouldn’t. But in the image, every one of those white-ish things is a crack with unstable edges. There are just too many to stabilize and the stone is full of them front to back, so no lapping past them. Hundreds of them on the surface. The larger ‘thing’ would not be a problem.
Alex Gilmore (thejapanstone.com) calls these cracks that intersect the surface at a very shallow angle ‘bias cracks’ and the edges are so thin that almost any pressure will cause them to lose material. They’re not always toxic but usually are, or are capable of being toxic. I have another stone that has them but they only ‘shed’ when I lap the stone. They’re much smaller than these. In use, they’re OK on this second stone. But sure takes the value away!
That is one amazing haul! The honing gods are kind to you! I’m jealous In six months of active picking I was able to find a 6” washita. Only. ( I sealed my label with spray shellac)
I think you have the gray polisher and Bethesda mixed up .... the gray polisher is 12k + ( ish)/ ultra fine. The Bethesda Is the mid range (ish) stone. Curious on your opinions on these. I don’t love the Bethesda, And I like the dota creek finished to almost shiny, over the gray polisher for finishing. But I’m new (ish) to honing
Arkansas Grey - Marked 4-6k Dota Creek - Marked 10-12k Bethesda Grey - Marked Ultra Fine No, I do not have them mixed up Note the words MARKED, Jon Coe marked them on the sides of each stone Now what is mixed up is his "names" of the stones have changed slightly since 2017 but the stones are the same I have dumped the Dota Creek as a possible finisher as of Fri, I can beat that edge easily with a Norton 8k which is my personal test of a "Finisher" If it does not improve the edge from a Norton 8k for me I no longer waste my time with it Keeping in mind I can squeak a serious edge out of a Norton 8k, so it is a high bar I have moved on to using the Grey now after the Chosera 10k to see if that is a more face friendly edge
So you have dumped the dota creek? The dark black stone 10-12k? What do you rate ( ball park) a norton washita at?
Yes I dumped the Dota Creek... I don't rate Naturals by grit, and rating a Novaculite (Arkie) is by far the worst, they vary greatly, not only in the rocks themselves but also in the Prep of the surface by the owner
Up to 3000 followed by steel burnishing, the guy that owns them knows what he is doing.. Also keep in mind that it is not a known Noviculite.. ie Coe hasn't tested them yet, it is more likely Shale/Slate This is part of the problem with so many of these "Whatstones", nobody actually even asks, let alone knows.. I have become very tired of being the only person that questions it, especially on FB
Also so it is very clear since you seem to keep questioning the stones themselves They are marked, he has changed what he calls them in the last two years other than the Dota Creek that has stayed the same