Help identify this Thuringian Water Hone

[Awac]

Ok, I like to try different stones, and wanted to try a Thuringian Water Hone. I am sure this is one but I am unsure as who the manufacturer is, the logo looks like S&D or D&S.

The biggest name for Thuringian hones is Escher (Note that “Echter” is german for ‘real’ or ‘genuine’ – not to be confused with “Escher” which was a name and trademark) who used a cup symbol. The only other company I can find whose initials might fit is S.R. Droescher?

If nobody knows I might have to ask the cutthroat razor community.
Hmm, if you think woodworkers can have a sharpening “discussion” or “problem” lol. Have any of you ever read their forums? I feel my stone obsession is fully under control now….

Seriously, they have some great forums and will try on them if no one can identify it here.

Thanks everyone.

 

[D_W]

dark blue or black thuri - the latter (black or dark gray) are common in small stones marked "the celebrated".

They are a good hone slate, but you won't find a use for them other than as a maintainer for an already sharp razor, and they're going to be middling in fineness for razor finishers (the trick that's missing in the razor discussion, often on the razor boards is that the term "overhoning" literally means what it says - the edge of a razor in service is generally not honed off -it is kept conditioned by a good true linen and a clean smooth shell strop and total removal is only accidental.

A stone like this is small not due only to thrift, but because a properly maintained razor with linen and leather would see it about 5 minutes each 100-200 shaves, and no more.

 

[D_W]

(when you read about these, the blue-green and yellow-green are generally regarded as finer. I don't know for sure that I've ever had anything other than y/g , or to be more specific - I have hone slates in the 2 1/2 x 5.5 size or whatever it is that are black, but they're not labeled).

The yellow green hones are fine cutting - so you won't find discussion of y/g that matches my comment of "middling finishing fineness" - that's for the dark gray and black versions.

 

[Jacob]

It's just another sharpening stone. They are as common as bog-roll and functionally there's not a lot of difference between them.
Can you still get Izal Germicide and does anybody care?
I really miss "Bronco".

 

[D_W]

thuringians? Maybe they've come down in price, but for a while, the typical sale of a stone like the one above was around $125.

They are good for razors. A waste to be used on tools or knives. They're not similar to anything that's been used on tools other than perhaps very fine purple welsh slates and water of ayr.

For a while the shaving community drove up everything that was natural, friable and very uniform. Thuringians are that. They allow someone who knows nothing to ensure they'll get a good stone (And thus the value goes up so high and fast that the value proposition is lost - they're not really any better than 2 out of 3 small thin japanese stones picked from barber shops - at one point, those were about $50 each, and much bigger - but only that price if you bought them off of japanese auctions).

 

[Awac]

It's just another sharpening stone. They are as common as bog-roll and functionally there's not a lot of difference between them.
Can you still get Izal Germicide and does anybody care?
I really miss "Bronco".

Thanks for this Jacob, but can you identify the manufacturer's logo?

 

[Awac]

thuringians? Maybe they've come down in price, but for a while, the typical sale of a stone like the one above was around $125.

They are good for razors. A waste to be used on tools or knives. They're not similar to anything that's been used on tools other than perhaps very fine purple welsh slates and water of ayr.

For a while the shaving community drove up everything that was natural, friable and very uniform. Thuringians are that. They allow someone who knows nothing to ensure they'll get a good stone (And thus the value goes up so high and fast that the value proposition is lost - they're not really any better than 2 out of 3 small thin japanese stones picked from barber shops - at one point, those were about $50 each, and much bigger - but only that price if you bought them off of japanese auctions).

I have only had a quick trial with it and very nice feedback when using it. My carving knifes are sharp, and I will give them a trial on this hopefully tomorrow. I enjoy trying different mediums.

 

[D_W]

So, the virtue of these stones (the hone slates in general) is that they are a bit soft and they will release a very fine diluted slurry with use. The slurry is ideal for razors because it prevents a wire edge from developing (at least an organized one). If the particles are too large, the stone too hard with slurry on it, or too dense, then you get rounding and dulling.

These types of stones aren't that popular for knives because they can be nicked (and sometimes deeply) very easily and knife sharpening is heavy handed relatively because there are a lot of point contacts (the edge isn't a long straight edge, so even with light pressure, the specific pressure on an area is large).

you'll get a good edge (may be wise to drag the knife rather than leading edge), but just how good will be very dependent on pressure as well as hardness of the knife.

 

[D_W]

(in order for a stone like this to self slurry with a razor, it needs to be softer than it would be to self slurry with a knife or tool, too. Or put another way, the fact that this stone can self slurry with a razor - or this type does - is an indication that it'll be very soft. It should slurry with a knife without issue, but you may wear it fast even if not nicking it).

 

[Awac]

It's DSG - Deutsche Schleifmaterialien Gesellschaft.

They used the letters DSG in different forms and various layouts.
The company was located in Steinach/ Thuringia in the 1920‘s. It is reported, that for a few years they owned the quarry in Steinach, were the Escher hones had had been mined before.

Identified by Alex on Badger & Blade forum.

 

[Awac]

http://strazors.com/uploads/images/articles/escher.pdf
Here is a small pdf history of these German hones.