Case Arkansas Stone Question

[lambertiana]

I just visited my parents, and found this in the garage:


Does anyone have an approximate time frame of when these were sold? I suspect it was my grandfather's. I started sharpening all of our family's knives when I was a teenager in the '70s and never saw this stone.

I found the stone to be much finer than I thought a hard arkansas would be. It feels like glass.

 

[Neko2]

That's probably an "extra fine" translucent stone. One step down from the black "surgical" usually.
No idea on age but I'll be watching to find out.

 

[knarfeng]

That's probably an "extra fine" translucent stone. One step down from the black "surgical" usually.
No idea on age but I'll be watching to find out.

Agree.
Sometimes also known as a "hard Arkansas" stone.
Harder than a Washita stone. Finer grained, also.
Not as hard or as fine as a black Arkansas stone.

The box is what is going to date it.
I had a stone similar to that in the 60's with the Buck name on it. I think this one is older. But, I'll also be watching.

 

[Ernie1980]

That is a great find! I can't help on the date but it looks like a winner

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

That red 'long tail C' logo on the label, with the 'XX' under the tail, might be the clue to age. I think Case labelled a lot of their products like that starting in the 1980s -> later time frame.

I'm seeing a fair number of these on the web, in eBay listings and such, and priced pretty conservatively. At least some of them appear to be in 'as new' condition, or at least unused. So, I'm inclined to believe it's not real old, but maybe going back to the '80s or so. Nice looking stone, nevertheless.

Does look like a 'translucent' hard, which should be a nice polisher.


David

 

[screened porch]

I remember them as Washita, Soft Arkansas, and Hard Arkansas, all the rage in the '70s when diamond stones were new and even more expensive than the Arkansas. I've come across a couple super hard and fine ones that were well described above as feeling like glass.
I see great variation in how they're valued by sellers.

 

[cilohaefink]

Case offered that particular model of bench stone from about 1964 until about 1985.

Yours is an earlier one since it says "the finest stone a man can own". They later changed the wording to be more inclusive - "the finest stone you can own". I kid you not. I do not know what year that change was made, though.

Edited to add: just checked my older Case price lists and it was actually discontinued in 1980. It was an expensive item - last retail price was $21.50, a lot of money at that time.

 

[DrPenguin]

She's a beauty! I love Arkansas stones and especially the translucent ones. Mine are as treasured as my knives are. The satisfaction of using those stones and a little know-how to hone a knife is very cool to me.

Will