Ideal Stone 2 Grains 200 x 35 x 15 with Base

Pyrene Bushcraft is pleased to offer the Pierres a Aiguiser des Pyrenees sharpening stones.

It is in our own valley, the Saurat valley, that you will find the last French maker of natural sharpening stones.
This stone is a schistose sandstone whose fine grain and mineralogical purity allow a sound, perfect edge.

Pierre a Aiguiser des Pyrenees works two qualities of stone: the hard stone quarried underground and the soft stone taken from an open-cast deposit.

The hard stone is veined, with the particular feature of darker areas, which have more bite, and lighter areas, which are a little softer.
It sharpens faster than the soft stone and is the one to choose when more work is needed. This stone is particularly suited to sharpening axes.

The soft stone is far more uniform, dark grey in colour. It is used for finer, more precise sharpening.

Pierres a Aiguiser des Pyrenees can be used dry, but also with water (which we recommend) - the contact with the blade is then a little gentler.

The Pierre Ideale 2 Grains 200 x 35 x 15 has one polished face, which gives you two levels of coarseness. You start on the rougher face to sharpen properly, then finish on the polished face for a flawless result.
The laminated wooden base is varnished and has four feet that grip a worktop well. Perfect for sharpening knives flat.
The stone is not fixed in place, so you can turn it over to use both faces or fit a different stone. A groove inside the base also lets you use the stone on its edges.

It is hard to quote a grit for natural stones.
The maker reckons roughly that the smooth face of the Ideale 2 Grains corresponds to about 800/1000 grit (some find it finer) and the rough face to about 320/400.

To visit the maker's website, click here.