Fine india inflation? (No this is not a sharpening thread, more a shopping thread.)

[Jorny]

We have a summer house in the country side. With all summerhouses come the occasional carpentry. Carpentry is nicer with sharp tools. Sharp tools requires a sharpening stone. Up here the snow is almost gone and I thought it would be nice to have a sharpening stone there so I don't have to bring one with me and forget to bring back when it is time to get back in to town. I thought that a Norton India combination stone (IB8) would be perfect. Uncomplicated and long lasting. Then I started looking at the price of it, I can't find it in Sweden for anything less than £50! The IB6 isn't much cheaper. And when looking at UK sites the prices seem similar. Wasn't it half that price only a year or two back?

So now I am looking at getting a german made Indicor stone or Missarka stone, anyone tried these? Or just a japanese combination stone they are half the price of a india combo...

 

[Jacob]

We have a summer house in the country side. With all summerhouses come the occasional carpentry. Carpentry is nicer with sharp tools. Sharp tools requires a sharpening stone. Up here the snow is almost gone and I thought it would be nice to have a sharpening stone there so I don't have to bring one with me and forget to bring back when it is time to get back in to town. I thought that a Norton India combination stone (IB8) would be perfect. Uncomplicated and long lasting. Then I started looking at the price of it, I can't find it in Sweden for anything less than £50! The IB6 isn't much cheaper. And when looking at UK sites the prices seem similar. Wasn't it half that price only a year or two back?

So now I am looking at getting a german made Indicor stone or Missarka stone, anyone tried these? Or just a japanese combination stone they are half the price of a india combo...

Had a look yes they are pricey!
But IMHO it's the best basic stone and essential for general purposes, being coarse/medium which is quite fine enough for all normal purposes. If I could only have one stone this would be it.
Maybe just go for it - it'll last you for life anyway!
There must be many other stones with about the same "medium" grit, so maybe take pot luck second hand.
People in Sweden have also been sharpening since the beginning of time so there must be lots of old stuff still around.

 

[Spectric]

You don't have to look hard to find a lot of prices have gone through the roof and it all adds up with a few quid here and there. Maybe a good excuse to buy more tools as you could now say they are an investment, be worth a lot more in a years time. So you spend £50 on the stone but in a years time when it is £80 you will just think it was a bargain !

 

[Jorny]

Had a look yes they are pricey!
But IMHO it's the best basic stone and essential for general purposes, being coarse/medium which is quite fine enough for all normal purposes. If I could only have one stone this would be it.
Maybe just go for it - it'll last you for life anyway!
There must be many other stones with about the same "medium" grit, so maybe take pot luck second hand.
People in Sweden have also been sharpening since the beginning of time so there must be lots of old stuff still around.

For this purpose it is to much money. If I had no sharpening stones it would be ok. I ususally grind on a tormek, hone (and touch up) on a Loos shale stone and strop with autosol on whatever piece of wood, plywood or mdf i have lying around. My father has a 800 king stone lying around which I could bring along, but it dishes a bit easily and I would like something coarser to remove nicks. Sandpaper is to much of a bother, expensive and clumsy.

There are at least two german manufacturers who make oil charged aluminium oxide stone with similar grit. There is one called incorum by Müller schleiftechnik (german industrial companies always have such reassuring names, and very boring websites which also is very reassuring) which is about 13-15 € for a 150 x 50 mm combination stone, and a little more for one that is 200mm. I'll see if I can find a place with cheap enough shipping and try a german stone.