This Thuringian water hone was a little beat up when it arrived, but some lapping cleared all the chips and now the working surface is quite nice for finishing razors. The bottom side has a ‘V’ cut or groove running the length of the stone, which is unusual. The original owner said this stone was intended for sharpening surgical instruments like scalpels and lancets. I have no idea if that is true. It seems to me like the groove was never used and I’m pretty sure that this stone was probably NOS when I received it.
But – is it an Escher? Without a label or box there’s no way to know for sure. It slurrys like an Escher, and the dimensions are very similar to some smaller Eschers that I’ve had in the past.
The color – well, it’s more of a black than it is blue. Side by side with my Dark Blue Escher, this stone is definitely black.
Performance wise, it seems to be a cut above what I’ve experienced with labeled Eschers and just about every other Thuringian I’ve ever had; it seems to be extremely fine. This stone’s hardness reminds me of the harder dark blue Eschers, but perhaps even a little bit harder.
Approx. Dimensions: 5.25 x 1.5 x 0.5” / 134 x 38 x 12.7
Weight: 6.2 oz / 175 g