All About Pocket Knives

Recently I've stumbled on some sharpening stones......and now I keep my eyes open for them, but information is not easy to find.

Please place your pics and information in this thread so we might gather insights into use and identification.

Thanks to coffeecup's instruction I cleaned these 2 stones with Easy Off yesterday so identification might be easier...Here is what HE told me....

"the translucent stone is an Arkansas stone--looks like a nice one.

The other stone is hard to identify. It looks like a natural stone, but has inclusions of some harder mineral. At a guess, it was cut at or near one of the sites that cut stone for gristmills, or large grinders--think "pedal powered." If I'm right, it will be hard, fairly coarse scratches on steel, and "dulls" quickly because it isn't very friable. Might be from Ohio originally, but that is a guess. It has also been broken and glued back together at some point, probably long ago; they usually did this with sodium silicate ("water glass"--used to get it at drug stores). "

I also have these....

Oh man I started collecting stones and sharpening tools… I also just boxed them all up and never thought to take pictures of them first… I have a hardware store pocketknife sharpening station in the bathroom I'll try to get pics of… It's my best piece anyway

Just stumbled on this tidbit of info:

http://www.sharpeningsupplies.com/Diffe ... 1C117.aspx

These belonged to my grandpa.
I know he used the bottom one extensively, as well as the leather strop stick at the top. I'm pretty sure the white ones are Washita stones from Arkansas. The midsized darker ones are 2 sided man made stones, one a Carborundum (medium & fine), the other a Norton (coarse & medium). The smaller black one is actually an old broken stone celt from a Native American camp site, he picked it up years ago and seemed to favor it for just touching up an edge.


WB

I think we need an area (Offical thread) to discuss all sharpening aspects!! WOW!! Where did those big words come from?? Lots of sharpening info could be passed/gleaned there!! We all want out blades smokin sharp now dont we??!! John

Well it was too cold to care about picture quality so this is what I came up with until better weather comes along. I'm not sure about the age of this what I call a "Sharpening Station" … It has to be at least a few decades old...

Check here Scott

http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kni ... =2&t=14018

that sharpening station reminds me of the 50s when most hardware stores had a similar setup; usually at the front section of the outlet. HiPower

Miller Bro`s wrote:Check here Scott

http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kni ... =2&t=14018

Thanks Dimitri.....

Looking more for stone identification help...

jmh58 wrote:I think we need an area (Offical thread) to discuss all sharpening aspects!! WOW!! Where did those big words come from?? Lots of sharpening info could be passed/gleaned there!! We all want out blades smokin sharp now dont we??!! John

http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kni ... sharpening

"Looking more for stone identification help..."

There is a lot of info about stones, especially on page 4.

This came from a defunct hardware store in the Texas Hill Country. Only one I've ever seen in person, so I bought it. I gave $26 for it about 15 years ago. There are a couple of similar ones pictured in Sargent's 7th edition. The one I have is slightly different than those pictured. Saw one other one listed on eBay within the past year, which sold for a lot more than Sargent values them (not surprising).

During first half of 20th century these could be found sitting on the counter in old hardware stores, provided as a courtesy to the customers, who could sharpen their knives while discussing the news of the day. With the decline in men carrying and using pocket knives, plus the big box stores driving the decline in independently owned hardware stores, these have disappeared.

Ken

AWESOME!!

I forgot about those though I have seen them before in old hardware stores.
I need to find one for my collection of different sharpening tools.

Great find! Thanks for sharing!

I have never seen these before and it must have been such a nice courtesy to customers. Too bad that all this is vanishing in this high tech age. I will never understand how a man can get along without a pocket knife at his side.....

Really nice piece, thanks for sharing the blast from the past.

About 20-years ago I purchased a long established bait and tackle shop in Connecticut and the shop came with a large DMT sharpening station at the checkout counter. It took me about 3-months to realize that over half of my customers used it with regularity, some even dropped-in just to sharpen their pocketknife.

Some good ideas never grown old.

What a cool piece. Looks like it had a lot of use over the years.

Nice Find!!

I only ever recall seeing one in a hardware store about 1981.

Yours is an early one with the round oil can.

I will see if I can post some catalog images later.

Thanks for looking, and for sharing your comments. Glenn, It has definitely seen a lot of use over the years (it is sway backed). It is definitely a conversation piece among those who look at my collection. Wish it could talk!

Steve, I would really appreciate anything you have about its age, and any pics from old catalogs, etc. My poorly educated guess is it dates from the 50's. BTW the pictures in Sargent's 7th edition (page 273) appear to have the captions reversed as to the age of the items, respectively. I have a couple of old Case catalogs that describe this a "counter hone". As you have said, the older ones have the round oil can, but the blue and white label like this one has seems to be newer, more modern graphic art, which is what leads me to think this one may be a transition version.

Thanks,
Ken

We still have a building supply/hardware store that has a "swaybacked" whet rock on the counter. It doesn't have the oil can like the one in the picture but it is on a piece of wood. I'll check it out next time I'm in there . They might let me take a picture of if to post, never thought this would be a rare thing in a hardware store . Times do change .
Treefarmer

Mumbleypeg wrote:Thanks for looking, and for sharing your comments. Glenn, It has definitely seen a lot of use over the years (it is sway backed). It is definitely a conversation piece among those who look at my collection. Wish it could talk!

Steve, I would really appreciate anything you have about its age, and any pics from old catalogs, etc. My poorly educated guess is it dates from the 50's. BTW the pictures in Sargent's 7th edition (page 273) appear to have the captions reversed as to the age of the items, respectively. I have a couple of old Case catalogs that describe this a "counter hone". As you have said, the older ones have the round oil can, but the blue and white label like this one has seems to be newer, more modern graphic art, which is what leads me to think this one may be a transition version.

Thanks,
Ken

It may be an overused term when it comes to knives, but yes, yours is a "transition" - newer style graphics but round oil can.

From a 1930's catalog.

From the 1974 catalog.

Thanks, Steve, for digging out these old catalogs and posting the pictures.

Treefarmer, it would be great to see it if you can get a picture. These old scenes of Americana need to be preserved.

Ken

Seeing great things like this counter hone remind of us of what has been lost. Great item! Thanks for posting.

Pick this sharpening stone up in an antique shop yesterday. It's overall length is 4inches. I've never seen one like it before. Information?