The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-04-28
HOMES FOR sHARP KNIVES.
Some Wonderful Stones Used for Max
Jag Steel Blades Keen.

lag Steel 5.a1eS Keen
From the Washington Star.
IAN important industry Of the world
Is the production Of whets.ones, said Cura-
tor Merrill Of the Smithsonian Institution to
q Star reporter. Civilization may be said
TO depend primarily for its development
upon edged tools. and So il IS interesting to
consider the most improved methods so far
devised for the sharpening OF the imple-
meats used in the mechanical and other
arts.
THE finest whetstones known for the
sharpening Of fle-edged tools are obtained
from Arkansas. in that state are beds Of
what Is called 'nOvacUlite,' which Is what is
scientifically known as an altered schlst.
This means a deposit of finty nature.
usually combined with limestone. the rock
thus produced being changed in such a
manner mOlecularly, by processes not alto
gether understood, as 10 supply a surface
most suitable for grinding. Arkan-
sRs furnishes the entire supply of nOvacu-
lite for the United States, also filling a large
part of the export demand, which is very
considerable. The main deposit Of the ma
terial is in single hill about 500 feet high.
For the sharpening of keen edged tools,
Tazors excepted, this novaculite Is unrl-
vailed. 1t is a very beautiful stone, of snowy
whiteness, and is quite costly, because 1t has
to be cut by diamond dust, owing to its ex-
treme hardness.
Next in point Of quality for milestone
purposes is a gray. fine-grained sandstone
from Orange county, Indiana. IL IS called
Indiffe.ently 'Hindoostal stone or Orange
county stone Very commonly it is made
into long spikes for sharpening knives upon
in the kitchen, and for this purpose II is far
better than steel. Another sandstone en-
ployed for the same purpose is quarried IN
Cortlandt county, New York, and is called,
without any reason that l know of, 'Labra-
dor stone 1t is Of dark gray color.
"a still coarser milestone for scythes and
other such tools is made from Berea grits, a
sandstone found III the neighborhood of
Berea, U. 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 under
stood that there Is hardly such thing as a
milestone quarry. Nearly every quarry
from which whetstones are derived is worked
chiefly for obtaining building stone, the
small pieces Of particularly fine grade only
being utilized for making whetstones.
Three stones imported from abroad are
employed in this country for whetstones.
Best known Of these is the German razor
hone, which is commonly used by BARRIERS
for sharpening their razors, and is in al
probability the best substance for the pur-
pose known. 1t is found chiefly near Rats
bon, Germany, in the old river bed. During
the period OF early geological formation the
river brought down to that point mud,
which was deposited on the bottom. This
mud varied in material from one season to
another, depending upon the source from
which it was derived, so that during one
year it was white and during another blue.
Subsequently, in the course OF ages, the
mud became stone, and now the white lay
ers 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 it is usual to back O thin slab of it
with another slab Of the cheap blue stone,
fastening the two together with cement
Such is the ordinary razor hone of COM
merce These German homes co ollv a
fraction Of what is charged for novaculite
scraps Of the same size, but there ia duty
upon them, which together with
The expense Of transportation, reI-
ders them about as high 10 the
market. There are two other foreign whet-
stones commonly used in this country. One
of these is a fine-grained schist from Scot
land known as the w ater Of Ayr and used
much by carpenters and stoneoutters for
rubbing down the surface Of other stones.
The other is the Turkey oilstone,' resembl
ing novaculite.
THE stones used in this country for
griudstones are mostly from Ohio and Nova
Scotia, the latter supplying the best grade.
which does excellently for scythes. OF
foreign grIndstones most come from Eng
land. OF all whetstoues 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-hke points to fine-edged
sticks, the object being to grind the little
points and edges of the steel instrument
which could not be sharpened upon au
ordinary stonen