The SilkStone is a rare vintage whetstone from the United Kingdom, prized for its fine grain and exceptionally smooth honing feel. The history of these stones is obscure as to their exact origin, though they are certainly of UK origin.
They closely resembles a Thuringian in character, though it is generally a bit harder. When rubbed with a DMT plate it raises slurry readily, but it does not release slurry on its own during use. Like Thuringians, it shows subtle patterning when wet (visible in the photos). What truly sets it apart, however, is its rarity—Silk Stones are far scarcer than Thuringian hones.
With a dark grey to black tone and occasional marbling, these stones are dense and uniform, producing a soft slurry that yields a refined, razor-sharp edge. It is hard like a dark blue Thuringian and leaves similarly very fine edges, perhaps a bit more crisp and keen than the German hone.
