I've seen a seller, on ebay, selling "Natural Ceramic", and "Jasper" hones. One is rated at around 20k. Anyone seen or used any of these? It would also be fun to see other unusual stones you guys have used to sharpen your "Razors".
I saw those also... somewhat intriguing. Another one of those purchases that my wife would just shake her head about.
Jasper has been around for honing for many years, more for tools was rather popular for engraving tools from my reading There was some interest in trying them sometime around 09-10 on SRP the threads are still there to read, the results as I remember them were Meh Anytime a seller starts putting grit ratings on Natural stones my radar gets a blip, when they start saying 20k I start LMAO JMHO and a weeeee bit of experience
Jasper/petrified wood were used in the Panama Barber hones I believe, though maybe not every single one. I always wanted to try one and always keep missing. Cheers, Steve
Well, @gssixgun , you've used about every hone out there, have you run into any of the ones I've listed??
My first "finisher" was an Owyhee jasper 3/16 slab that took forever to lap out the saw marks. It cost me about 8 dollars delivered. I've tried petrified wood, petrified palm, agatized coral a few different jaspers, clouded chalcedony and a few others, all with varying degrees of success. The coral, shown below, was the only toxic one and left errant gouges in the steel. If it had a consistent, closer, stria I would call it a bevel setter. These were all experiments, albeit mostly experiments that taught me how to lap very hard stones. Some good with water but all better with oil, the biggest complaint would be they are slow. I don't mind that as I don't hone as a service to others. Below left rear: Owyhee jasper, right rear: agatized coral Front left: My first found and cut stone, Sioux Quartzite, middle: my latest Sioux Quartzite and right: green quartzite from the same seller referred to in the op. I'm a fan of the quartzites.
I got to try one of the Petrified Wood ones at one of the Denver Meet, after a few laps I moved to a different finisher, You have to understand that Surface Prep on these is essential, the better you do that the better the results will be There was a Muti-Colored Jasper at one of the Wenatchee meets that had been prepped better, it felt much like a Softer Arkie to me when I tried it I am pretty sure with proper surface prep you could get a decently burnished edge if you like using Oil Stones and the feel they impart then you should mess with one, but I doubt they will ever even match a good Translucent Arkie or a Charnley Forest JMHO
But wait, there's more! lol Top row: Chert, self cut, about all my saw could handle; Canadian Novaculite Bottom row, all 1/4 in slabs: Petrified palm, petrified wood, unknown, another Owhyhee, and 2 unknown jaspers. I like to experiment, especially with inexpensive or found subjects although the lapping, even with SIC grit, is not fun.
The Sioux Quartzites, I have 5 that I've cut from various sources and there were a few others I gave away. They all vary depending on the source and how the surface prep is done. Slurried with a diamond plate they are decently fast cutters, burnished like an Arkie and using oil I get a frosty looking bevel and a smooth edge. Not bad for rock that was used for erosion control on a river.
Cumberlandite from Rhode Island. Heavy, iron-bearing rock - a magnet will stick to it. Took it for a spin today, see the honing thread for details and another image. Cheers, Steve