Vintage Thuringian Straight Razor Hone

Vintage German Thuringian Natural Razor Water Stone Hone

This is a genuine vintage Thuringian water hone for putting the final polish on straight razors.  It is a fine stone - judging by the scratch pattern it leaves (under high magnification - it leaves a mirror-like bevel to the naked eye) I would estimate it at above 8000 grit and possibly10,000+ grit or more,  The stone is a very generous size for razor honing: 180mm x 40mm by approx 15mm thick (roughly 7" x 1 5/8th" x 5/8th").  The stone has been used to sharpen something with a strange shape on one side, leaving it undulating and thinner in places.  It has been flattened enough to allow it to sit well on a table top without rocking, though.  The other side is very well lapped, around the 800 grit mark, and the edges are all bevel-set.  The stone's colour is hard to describe - I'd say it was a grey/blue colour.  It has a faint sheen when held against the light and a satiny feel.

If you look at the edges (only lapped to 325 grit) you can see some strata lines and small fissures - these are all minimal and only cosmetic.  One edge of the lapped surface has been bevelled away to take out a small chip mark - it is very small (longest dim is just under 1/2") and doesn't really affect the stone - even the modern Mueller thuringians have these corners as a matter of course.  There are no hard inclusions.  During lapping the stone gave a thick muddy slurry, but if just water is used on it while honing hardly any slurry is generated - just a slight thickening/darkening of the water is seen.  Note that the stone comes without a box, and without a slurry stone.

The pictures with the red background show the hone dry - on the white background it is wet and has a milky slurry on it. 

The stone is evidently vintage (it came with the vintage Roma strop in the Bargain Basement) and it is much finer than some of the new thuringian stones you see on the market.

Packaged weight will be around 650 gms.