Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-10
HOMES FOR SHARP KNIVES.
Some Wonderful Stones Used for Making
Steel Blades Keen.

Il" A N IMPORTANT INDUSTRY Of the world
IA is the production Of whetstones," said
Curator Merrill of the Smithsonian Institute
70 . SrAR reporter. Civilization may be mid
to depend primarily for its DEVELOPMENT upon
edged tools, and so it is interesting to consider
the most improved methods 90 far devised for
the sharpening of the implements used in the
mechanical and other arta
The finest whetstoncs known for the sharp
ening Of fine edged tools are obtained from
Arkansas In that state are beds Of what IL
called 'novac1lite,' which ID what is scientific
ally known a. An altered schist.' This means
q deposit Of ainty nature, usually combined
With limestone, the rock thus produced being
changed in such q manner molecularly, by pro-
cssses not altogether understood. as TO supply
surface most suitable for grinding. Arkan-
- furnishes the entire supply Of novaculite
for the United States, also filling Q large part
Of the export demand, which is very consid-
cradle The main deposit of the material is in
. single hill about 500 feet high. For the
sharpening Of keen-edged tools, razors cx-
cepted. this novaculite is unrivaled. Il is a
very beautiful stone, of snowy whiteness and
Ia quite costly because it has to be cut by
diamond dust. owing to its extreme hardness.
THE ORANGE COUNTY STONE.
''Next in point Of quality for vhetstone pur-
Po8o8 - gray faiucu Asuubtouc Iron
Or.nge county Ind. 1t il called indifferently
.Hindoostan stone or Orange county stone
Very commonly il is made into long spikes for
sharpening knives upon in the Kitchen and for
this purpose it is FAR better than steel. An
other sandstone employed for the same pur-
pose is quarried in Cortlandt county, NY, and
II called. without any reason that know of,
Labrador stone. 1t Is Of dark gray color.
"A still coarser whetstone for scythes and
other such tools Is made from Berea grits, a
sandstone found in the neighborhood Of Berea,
Ohio. Also there are certain qualities of fine
grained micaschists-a crystalline rock Of
quartz and mica-which are obtained from
New Hampshire and Vermont and utilized for
homes wherewith to grind tools of the bigger
sort But it must be understood that there is
hardly such q thing as milestone quarry.
Nearly every quarry from which whetstones
derived is worked chiefly for obtaining
building stone, the small pieces Of particularly
fne grade only being utilized for making whet-
stones
THREE IMPORTED vARIKTIEs.
'Three stones imported from abroad are en-
ployed in this country for whetstonea Best
which is commonly used by BARRIERS for sharp
ening their razors, and is in all probability the
best substance for the purpose known. II is
found chiefly near RAtisbon, Germany. in the
old river bed. During the period of early
geological formation the river brought down to
tom This mud varied i'll material from one sea-
son to another, depending upon the source from
which it was derived that during one year
il was white and during another blue. Subsc-
quently, in the course of ages, the mud became
stone and now the white layers serve to sharpen
the blades by which civilized men all over
the world keep their faces clean of hair.
Because the white stone is costly il is usual to
back thin slab of il with another slab of the
cheap blue stone, fastening the two together
with cement Such Is the ordinary razor hone
of commerce. These German homes cost only
fraction of what is charged for novaculite
scraps OF the same size, but there Is a duty
upon them. which. together with the expense
OF transportation, renders them about as high
In the market There are two other foreign whet-
stones commonly used in this eOantry. One Of
these Is fue-graned schist from Scotland
known rs the Water of Ayr and used much
by carpenters and stoneeutters fo- rubbing
down the surfaces of other stones. The other
Is the Turkey oilstone, resembling novaculite.
OHIO AND NOVA SCOTIA FURNISH GIINDsroSEs.
THE stones used in this country for grind
stones are mostly from Ohio and Nova Scotia,
the latter supplying the best grade, which does
exeellently for scythes- OF foreign grind
stones most come from England OF all whet-
stones the most curious and interesting are
those which are utilized by engravers to
sharpen their engraving tools They are Of
every shape imaginable. from long needle-like
points to hne-edged sticks. the object being to
grind the little points and edges Of the steel
instruments which could not be sharpened
upon ordinary hone"