This Hard Ark is labeled HB-6, which means it came in a cardboard box. The wood box may be aftermarket, or a Norton accessory; I’m not sure. The saw marks in the top suggest that it might be a homemade piece, which is very cool. It fits perfectly, but the lid only goes on one way; whoever routed the top did so to tighter tolerances than usual.
The printed label on the stone says ‘Bear Brand’ but there is no mention of “Behr Maning’ – this tells me the stone may be from the mid-to-late 1950s. The quality level here is outstanding, the translucency is wonderful, and the feel is superb.
I do not see any signs of oil on the box or the stone, but I do sense a machine-oil essence. That could be from being stored in a work shop, or perhaps the original owner put oil on the stone a couple times and then left it. Whatever the case is, there really are no wear marks present; the working surface seems to possibly be in factory original condition.
Approximate dimensions: 6.0 x 2.0 x 0.9”
