Thread: Swaty and Pike Emeralds final hones

I know I've brought it up in the past, but today, looking at ebay, I noticed something a little different. My hones are a Franz Swaty Barber and a Pike EMERALD hone, and it does turn green when wet. The Emerald seems softer of the two, when I sanded down the edges. Just my observations.

Here are mine:

Pike hone made by Pike Manufacturing in Pike, New Hampshire. Then I ran across this today on ebay: link-> Pike Swaty Hone Whet Stone in Box Straight Razor Hone - eBay (item 370490955459 end time Mar-14-11 14:41:33 PDT)
I'm curious and surpised that it says Swaty on it, which I thought was an Austrian stone.

My Franz Swaty stone on top of the Pike EMERALD:
[url]http://vernsdidj.com/pictures/misc/razors/swaty_emerald_hones.jpg[/img]

Closer view of the Swaty...


I am not sure what the grit is on either of these. Last night I honed an old razor, some 150 years old, and finished with the Franz Swaty first, and then the Emerald. It did not look like anything was coming off as far as metal, but with a 20X loupe I saw that there was a shine to the bevel and barely any preceptable scratch marks on the bevel.

I also noticed in just now taking pictures of the Franz Swaty, that is says MAR???. JUGOSLAVIEN on the imprint. I might be wrong, but take a look.
What was that stone made of? Since it is from Europe was it a manufacured stone of one that was quarried?

What I also found interesting today was that this Franz Swaty looks dark reddish, almost reddish-brown, and on ebay another Franz Swaty has a light gray look to it. Link is here to see: http://tinyurl.com/6jj9uwp

I was assuming that any Franz Swaty was the same as any other Franz Swaty.

ALSO, as an aside, I was at an antique store today and handelded a small hone made by American Hone company, that came in a soft cloth. On the side it says "use this side first (pointing up) and then use this side to finish (pointing down to the other side)". Was not bad price, as it was nearly pristine, but what struck me odd is when I looked at it sidewyas, there was a diffrence in the color and material and it did not go across evenly from one end to the other end. Kind of like it was cut out of a piece of rock that had a definite natural line. If it was glued it would have been straight. As it was, this is more wavy up and down across the lenght of the stone separating the two "grits".
Might get it since it was $23.00.

Just wante to add. I shaved tonight with a 156 year old razor, the Ramapo Co. my Wadsworth, the WISS & Sons, and the Mulcuto. ALL shaved like a dream. I honed them with a 4000 grit with Coticule slurry, then got rid of the slurry and finished on just the 4K Norton water stone and then moved to the 8K stone with water and a very light bit of dish soap. Then went to the Emerald Pike with water and soap and finished on the Franz Swaty stone with water and soap. They just glide across those 2 last stones and were popping hairs even before I touched them with a strop. Shaving was very smooth and grab free. No nicks no cuts, no errors. Any one of them can give a smooth shave.

The stone that seems to be 2 natural stones in 1 sounds like an interesting collectors items. Stones like that are pretty rare. There are some Belgium blue and yellow coticules that occurred naturally like that. I wouldn't be able to pass up on something like that for 20 bucks but I'm a rock hoarder.

its almost certainly a synthetic, with the two layers being coloured differently. it may be clay and abrasive and perhaps some colouring added, or it could be a resin bound abrasive, once again maybe some pigment was added..

out of curiosity which layer is the lighter layer?

Originally Posted by ezpz

its almost certainly a synthetic, with the two layers being coloured differently. it may be clay and abrasive and perhaps some colouring added, or it could be a resin bound abrasive, once again maybe some pigment was added..

out of curiosity which layer is the lighter layer?

Ok, for curious minded, as myself, who figured, what the heck for 23.00 so I bought it. Pics of it are forthwith:



AND:



Other side:



You can see from the pictures the non-straight division betwen the two sides.
It's pretty pristine as well. Came in a little green cloth holder. It was 25% off today as well.

Now, here is some REALLY good info on this stone, for those interested, at this link: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=495956 it seem Merle Johnson bought the business and moved it to Moravia Iowa, and their most famous barber hone was the 00 Frictionite. From the brief synopsis, they are quite a stone!