I've got an old fashioned gentlemanly question

[Hovannes]

I found two straight edge razors and a sharpening stone in my garage.
One of the razors had a busted blade, so it got tossed. The sharpening stone is dark gray and looks to be in pretty good shape
except for hardened globs of something---maybe oil? I don't know.
Nor do I know what kind of stone it is, other than it was probably used to sharpen cutthroat razors, but it's a nice size to sharpen my pocketknives.
I can always use another sharpening stone, so do you have any suggestions on how to clean 'this one up?
Or better yet, what should I not use to clean it up?

[FredS]

I'd try a toothbrush and a little kerosene, or gas, or diesel fuel, or whatever you have on hand. Step up to a handheld wire brush from there. Hit it with a slowly rotating wire brush in a drill motor as a last resort. Stay away from brass brushes.

[Hugo Drax]

Razor hones are incredibly expensive and incredibly hard to use, Hov. My own suggestion is to send it off to be honed, but I salute your desire to do it yourself. Most men back in the day kept at least two razors, one sharp and one off to be made sharp again.

I have a delightful little dueling scar on my left cheek from that time when my cat Phred jumped up on the sink and jogged my elbow whilst I was shaving with a blade. I switched to a double edged safety razor immediately!

[Del]

Razor hones are incredibly expensive and incredibly hard to use, Hov. My own suggestion is to send it off to be honed, but I salute your desire to do it yourself. Most men back in the day kept at least two razors, one sharp and one off to be made sharp again.

I have a delightful little dueling scar on my left cheek from that time when my cat Phred jumped up on the sink and jogged my elbow whilst I was shaving with a blade. I switched to a double edged safety razor immediately!

Beard.

[SlowToke]

You could true it up with a piece of flat granite and some lower grit sandpaper glued to it with spray contact adhesive.

[Hovannes]

Well, I finally got around to working on it.
A good washing in the kitchen sink with detergent and hot water and it came clean, slicker than snot as they say
It's a chocolate brown stone, not grey or black, so I'm wondering what kind of stone it is?
It's marked
REX
Henry Sears & Sons 1855

[Del]

Well, I finally got around to working on it.
A good washing in the kitchen sink with detergent and hot water and it came clean, slicker than snot as they say
It's a chocolate brown stone, not grey or black, so I'm wondering what kind of stone it is?
It's marked
REX
Henry Sears & Sons 1855

Is it a natural stone? They have natural colors.

An artificial stone has artificial color. The manufacturer probably thought that the Mrs. would prefer a pretty kitchen stone over Shop Grey, something to complement the decor.

[Hugo Drax]

Well, I finally got around to working on it.
A good washing in the kitchen sink with detergent and hot water and it came clean, slicker than snot as they say
It's a chocolate brown stone, not grey or black, so I'm wondering what kind of stone it is?
It's marked
REX
Henry Sears & Sons 1855

That's simple. How. It's a Rex made by Henry Sears and Sons since 1855. See the attached link.

https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/th ... 54/page-11

[Hovannes]

Well, I finally got around to working on it.
A good washing in the kitchen sink with detergent and hot water and it came clean, slicker than snot as they say
It's a chocolate brown stone, not grey or black, so I'm wondering what kind of stone it is?
It's marked
REX
Henry Sears & Sons 1855

That's simple. How. It's a Rex made by Henry Sears and Sons since 1855. See the attached link.

https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/th ... 54/page-11

Thanks, Hugo Drax!
I've been wondering who this razor and stone belonged to, since I have my grandfather's, so I'm thinking maybe it belonged to Mrs Hov's grandfather.
I'll have to see if my brother-in-law wants it.