Historical information

A Whetstone is a sharpening stone used for knives and other cutting tools. Sharpening stones, water stones or whetstones are used to grind and hone the edges of steel tools and implements e.g. scissors, scythes, knives, razors and tools such as chisels, hand scrapers and plane blades. Though it is sometimes mistaken as a reference to the water often used to lubricate such stones, the word "whetstone" is a compound word formed with the word "whet", which means to sharpen a blade, not the word "wet". The process of using a sharpening stone is called stoning.

Physical description

A square block of grey abrasive material used for sharpening steel blades , with the original box

Inscriptions & markings

BRIDESTOWE / Picture of ‘Kangaroo, Stag and Emu among radiating wheat stalks’ / TASMANIA