Whetstone

[Agraes]

To complete my living history kit I'm looking for a good and simple whetstone. Plenty of pebble beaches near where I live but I have trouble finding the good stone and the good shape.
Any idea?

[mcbishop]

To complete my living history kit I'm looking for a good and simple whetstone. Plenty of pebble beaches near where I live but I have trouble finding the good stone and the good shape.
Any idea?

I've catalogued a few in my time (boxes of the damned things from Chesters and Housesteads) so have some idea of what was used. Most Roman whetstones (or hones) tend to be rectangular in shape and section (so they have been made into a convenient shape) and formed from a fine-grained sedimentary rock (something like this). Coarse-grained sandstone is too coarse, flint too fine, but between those extremes you will find a range of types being exploited on an informal basis, once you accept that most were of the kind I have just described.

Mike Bishop

[Agraes]

Thank you Mike for the information on this.

This seems indeed a common find, but scarcely seen in re-enactor's kit. Does anyone perhaps know of a good supplier?

[Robert]

Is there any evidence these were traded over larger distances? The description says it is a siltstone, so I can imagine them being mined is an openface deposit somewhere.

[mcbishop]

Is there any evidence these were traded over larger distances? The description says it is a siltstone, so I can imagine them being mined is an openface deposit somewhere.

No evidence because (so far as I am aware) nobody has done any analysis of the stones concerned. The Romans were perfectly capable of importing desirable stone into Britain (Rhineland limestone for early Colchester tombstones, Niedermendig lava quernstones etc) so it may well have been the case.

Mike Bishop