Old sharpening methods...

[Edgepal]

This picture shows a sharpening stone from the ironage, probebly from the viking time (795-1050) but it can be a little older then that.
The material is, in Swedish, skiffer. A very fine hard sediment. Skiffer can be very hard, nearly hard as flint.

You can se, in this picture, that long edges have been sharpen. The left side of the sharpener is worn to a "U" shape (concave) wich means that the edge will become convex.

Next picture shows the same sharpener but its other side - and there can you se thatvthethat sharpener also was used to sharpen smaller blades, the concave part is smaller.

This sharpener have a hole in the upper end and have probebly beeing hanging in a mans belt for daily use.

It is rectangular, used at all sides - but mostly used on its not so wide sides. I find that interesting becouse I have find out that I use smaller and smaller sharpeners - and thinner and thinner...also in my tools...

Is there some more members that have the same experiance? if yes - why are we using smaller and smaller sharpeners?

Thomas