Arkansas Stone?

[runscott]

I bought this stone in an antique store in Western Colorado a few years ago and promptly forgot about it. It's only just a little concave on one side, and the other is flat. I have no knowledge about old whetstones - probably wouldn't have bought it, but I had taken up a lot of the store clerk's time and it was only $2.

Is this some sort of home-made whetstone?

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

Looks like a broken piece of an Indian Pond scythe stone, which was made of micaceous schist. About an inch and a quarter across, yeah?

 

[runscott]

Looks like a broken piece of an Indian Pond scythe stone, which was made of micaceous schist. About an inch and a quarter across, yeah?

Interesting. Googling it, I'm certain you are correct - thanks. I guess for $2 it was a good deal, just in case I ever need to sharpen a scythe.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

It works great on knives, too! Fun fact--it was that very stone that gave Pike its start! The founder tripped over a piece of it in the road one day and realized it'd be a great sharpening stone for scythes and other tools, and started up the business of quarrying and cutting it.

 

[BJE]

I sure am grateful to have resources around here like fortytwoblades, learned something new today

 

[runscott]

I sure am grateful to have resources around here like fortytwoblades, learned something new today

Yes, I would have gone the rest of my life not knowing what this was.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

I have a box of new old stock ones from their Behr-Manning days and a single new old stock one from much older, though I have yet to pin down the time frame it's actually from definitively. They're great stones and that fiberglass look to the mica in them is unmistakable once you've seen it once.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Seeing this thread, I was also waiting for FortyTwoBlades' input here. I had a feeling he'd likely have the best detail on that.

Very cool.

 

[runscott]

I have a box of new old stock ones from their Behr-Manning days and a single new old stock one from much older, though I have yet to pin down the time frame it's actually from definitively. They're great stones and that fiberglass look to the mica in them is unmistakable once you've seen it once.

Yes, when I first saw it I did not recognize the rock and thought it was something man-made. But the irregular shape and age was perplexing. Thanks for explaining this. I'm thinking of giving it a go today with an old pocket-knife.

 

[SwissHeritageCo]

Looks like a broken piece of an Indian Pond scythe stone, which was made of micaceous schist. About an inch and a quarter across, yeah?

Impressive.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

A gif showing the shine of the micaceous schist of the Indian Pond scythe stones.