Record ID: SWYOR-5756A4
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
County: North Yorkshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A stone whetstone which is 56.6mm long, 14.5mm wide and 7.8mm thick. The stone is rectangular in section and is wider at one end. The narrower end may be an old break. There is a circular perforation in the wider end which appreas to have been drilled from one side. The stone is a very fine-grained purple-brown stone with small particles of mica (possibly a sort of metamorphosed slate?) which is quite soft; it can be marked with a fingernail. The date of this object is uncertain. Whetstones are known from the Roman period onwards, and without decoration or context are very hard to …
Created on: Friday 15th February 2008
Last updated: Tuesday 4th September 2012
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: SWYOR-5ABA34
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: North Yorkshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A whetstone or hone which is 117.3mm long, 52.7mm wide and 34.6mm thick. The stone is sub-rectangular in plan with rounded corners. It appears to be a water worn pebble which has not been deliberately shaped. One face has been used as a whetstone though. This face is very smooth and worn, but the other have not been used and are rougher. There is a semi-spherical hole in one side face of the stone, closer to one end. This appears to be natural as there are no striations within the hole to suggest deliberate working. It may be the result of an air bubble or pocket less durable material…
Created on: Friday 15th February 2008
Last updated: Wednesday 4th June 2014
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: SWYOR-FD3481
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: POST MEDIEVAL
County: Rotherham
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A fragment of a gritstone "scythe stone" of unknown date but probably post medieval. The stone is cylindrical with broken ends and many irregular grooves on the surface. It is 84.1mm long, 36.9mm wide and 35.6mm thick. It tapers slightly towards one end, which is rather more oval than circular in section. This stone was initially thought to be a hone stone, but on further consideration it was realised that this use would produce a rectangular stone with concave sides where the tool has been rubbed to sharpen it, not the neat circular shape evident on this example. It has since been id…
Created on: Tuesday 18th March 2008
Last updated: Saturday 9th February 2019
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: SWYOR-FD4682
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: POST MEDIEVAL
County: Rotherham
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A fragment of a sandstone "Scythe stone" of unknown date, but probably from the Post medieval period. The stone would have been cylindrical but the ends and one side are broken. It is 87.6mm long, 43.7mm wide and 32.5mm thick. It tapers slightly towards one end which is extensively damaged making the shape of the section difficult to determine. This stone was initially thought to be a hone stone, but on further consideration it was realised that this use would produce a rectangular stone with concave sides where the tool has been rubbed to sharpen it, not the neat circular shape evide…
Created on: Tuesday 18th March 2008
Last updated: Saturday 9th February 2019
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: SWYOR-DC6041
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: MODERN
County: North Yorkshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A rectangular block of hard, fine-grained, dark grey stone, probably used for honing blades. There are scratches and shallow grooves on all faces of the stone and one face has a more deeply incised transverse groove. It is 82.3mm in length, 24.5mm wide, and 25.2mm thick. It weighs 129.3gm. Hone stones have been used throughout history, but the regularity of this one suggests that is may have been machine cut, and so it is probably 19th or 20th century in date. It was lost before it was used very much, since no side is worn down into the hollow that is often seen. When cutting hay with…
Created on: Thursday 9th April 2009
Last updated: Friday 23rd March 2012
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: SWYOR-E7F3D5
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: UNKNOWN
County: North Yorkshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A semi-circular piece of fine grained soft red sandstone that has been ground flat on one side and on one face which are at right angles to each other. There are striations on both flat surfaces. It is 56.1mm long, 19.4mm wide, and 14.4mm thick. It weighs 22.11gm. The stone is very soft so may have been used as a polishing stone rather than a hone. It may also be natural, though the straight edges look to be man made. This sort of object is almost impossible to date.
Created on: Thursday 28th May 2009
Last updated: Friday 23rd March 2012
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: SWYOR-095CA7
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Lincolnshire
Workflow stage: Published
A rectangular length of lightweight, dark, fine-grained stone that has probably been used as a whetstone (hone or sharpening stone) as there are a number of shallow grooves on three of the surfaces. It is difficult to date with certainty but it probably dates from the Early-Medieval to Medieval periods. It is pierced at one end and a copper-alloy rivet remains in the piercing. At each end of the rivet is a small section of copper-alloy plate, probably forming a suspension mount, most of which has broken away in antiquity and is missing. The opposite end of the stone to the suspension …
Created on: Friday 15th January 2010
Last updated: Tuesday 4th September 2012
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: SWYOR-639D88
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: UNKNOWN
County: Doncaster
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
An incomplete whetstone, roughly rectangular in shape and cross-section. It is made from a mica rich, fine grained and dense stone with irregular breaks. The whetstone is broken at both short ends. One face and both long edges are much smoother and more rounded than the broken ends and the other face. It is these which were probably used for resharpening blades of knives, scythes, axes and other tools. Stray finds of whetstones are notoriously difficult to date and only very few found out of context can be dated to a specific period because of their shape and/or a perforation for…
Created on: Tuesday 6th September 2011
Last updated: Monday 1st June 2020
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: SWYOR-39F266
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: UNKNOWN
County: Calderdale
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A large piece of sandstone which has been utilised as a whetstone at an unknown date, but likely to be medieval or Post Medieval. The stone is a natural pieces of sandstone which is in danger of fracturing into two pieces, so is supported by cable ties. It is rectangular in plan and sub-square in section. One end of one face (the top view in the image) has been used for grinding or sharpening which has smoothed the stone and caused a distinct groove. The rest of the stone has not been used in this way. The shape of the stone suggests it was used as a whetstone, but it is also possible…
Created on: Monday 28th November 2011
Last updated: Monday 28th November 2011
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: SWYOR-3A2542
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: POST MEDIEVAL
County: Calderdale
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A piece of a quartz rich sandstone whetstone of probable Post Medieval to Modern date. The stone is broken at both ends and sub square in section. It tapers and one face is slightly concave where it has been used. The regular shape of this stone suggests it is part of a manufactured hone or scythe stone. When in use, a scythe would have needed sharpening every 15 minutes or so, so hones were vital pieces of equipment for every farm worker. This example does not appear to have been used very much before it was lost.
Created on: Monday 28th November 2011
Last updated: Monday 28th November 2011
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: SWYOR-9D6101
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: UNKNOWN
County: Doncaster
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A sub-spherical stone with worn, smooth areas, suggesting use as a whetstone or hone stone of uncertain date. The object is a sub-spherical pebble of arenaceous well-consolidated sandstone with little non-siliceous material (pers.comm. Robert Masheder, West Yorkshire Ecology). Most of the surface is rough and pitted, but one circular area has been worn almost smooth and flattened, and the opposite face has a convex strip of very well-worn, smoothed or polished surface. The stone was probably used as a gridstone, polisher, smoother, hone, or whetstone, but cannot be safely dated withou…
Created on: Monday 16th May 2016
Last updated: Wednesday 25th May 2016
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: SWYOR-03C3AA
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: UNKNOWN
County: Rochdale
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A fine grained sandstone cobble which has been used as a whetstone on three faces, of unknown date, Bronze Age onwards (2350 BC - AD 1900). The stone is fine grained and is a pale yellow grey colour. It is rectangular in plan, sub-rectangular in cross-section and has rounded ends. One long face is extremely worn; polished and concave. The two neighbouring long faces are also polished, but not as much. It is 140.7mm long, 52.5mm wide and 43mm thick. 612g.
Created on: Friday 23rd February 2018
Last updated: Thursday 9th May 2019
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: SWYOR-131B72
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: POST MEDIEVAL
County: North Yorkshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A piece of a quartz and mica rich sandstone whetstone of probable Post Medieval to Modern date, about AD 1700 - 1900. The stone is broken at both ends and is rectangular in section. It tapers and the two main faces are flat. The regular shape of this stone suggests that it is part of a manufactured hone or scythe stone. When in use, a scythe would have needed sharpening every 15 minutes or so, so hones were vital pieces of equipment for every farm worker. This example does not appear to have been used very much before it was lost, and the faces are not concave. It is 50.4mm long, 28.6…
Created on: Wednesday 9th June 2021
Last updated: Friday 25th June 2021
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: SWYOR-922647
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: UNKNOWN
County: Rotherham
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
An incomplete stone probable Whetstone of Bronze Age to Post-Medieval date (1000 BC - AD 1800). It is formed of very fine grained, smooth, light grey stone, with visible strata including what appear to be bands of quartz. It is sub-rectangular in plan, wider at one end than the other, and is D shaped, or perhaps sub-pentagonal in cross-section. There are deliberately cut side facets and both ends have cut straight surfaces, with some wear or faceting. The stone has broken in places, especially the narrow end and on the upper curved face, leaving an uneven surface, but the other surfac…
Created on: Monday 8th November 2021
Last updated: Friday 26th November 2021
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: SWYOR-E85497
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: POST MEDIEVAL
County: Rotherham
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A possible worn piece of a quartz and mica rich sandstone whetstone of probable Post Medieval to Modern date, about AD 1700 - 1900. The stone is rounded at both ends and is oval in section. There are worn facets along the sides.The regular shape of this stone suggests that it is part of a manufactured hone or scythe stone. When in use, a scythe would have needed sharpening every 15 minutes or so, so hones were vital pieces of equipment for every farm worker.  Measurements are; length 88.8mm, width 33.5mm, thickness 19.5mm and weight 84.17g.
Created on: Monday 25th July 2022
Last updated: Wednesday 10th August 2022
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: SWYOR-A2AB89
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: UNKNOWN
County: North Yorkshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A waterworn and polished stone that may have been used as whetstone or hone stone, at an unknown date. The stone is broadly rectangular in pln and cross-section, though it is taller at one end, and that thcker end then tapers to a rounded point. The top and one side are flattened and there are faint striations, suggesting the stone may have been used. The other side is rougher and is probably natural. The base is smooth but undulating with some visible striations. The stone is fine textured and homogenous apart from the rougher face which has apparent inclusions of harder material that…
Created on: Tuesday 7th November 2023
Last updated: Monday 20th November 2023
Spatial data recorded.