Sharpening stones made out of Wallachian sandstone

Sharpening stones made out of
Wallachian sandstone
part I.
History of manufacturing and use of sharpening stones from rocks originating from area of
Czech Republic (Bohemia and Moravia) is disappearing and not much of information
survived to these days. In the first part I inted refresh information about sharpening stones
originating from region of Wallachia and trades and craft connected with them. In further
chapters I am going to focus on on ther abrasive properties, comparison with other
materials and another whetstone locations from other parts of Czech Republic.
Wallachia is hilly region in north easterly part of Moravia. Its geological underlay is mostly
made out of sandstone.
Wallachia region
Sharpening stones made out of Wallachian sandstone
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Sandstone was used as building stone for foundations of buildings for centuries.
Chronicles about making sharpening stones in valley of Rokytenka stream are also few
centuries old.
In village Lhota (now Lhota u Vsetina), first recordings from 1666 and in village Liptal from
1834. It is probable, that their ancestors were obtaining whetstones made out of local
stone even before those dates. In this article I am intending to focus on whetstones from
those locations. Additional locations in Wallachia are subjects of further research.
Rokytenka valley: Liptal and Lhota u Vsetina
Sharpening stones made out of Wallachian sandstone
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Oselka
A typical sandstone whetstone characteristic shape is Oselka (Scythestone in Wallachian).
It is not known when the whetstones in this form were first discovered, however, in a 19 th
and first half of the 20th century, they may be regarded as typical. This shape was used for
a wide range of cutting tools from knives, scythes to axes.
Oselka
Sharpening of a scythe
Oselkas as used by a butchers
In the production of these whetstones mined sandstone blocks were divided by cleaving.
Subsequently, scaled down into a rough shape by chopping and further by pinching with
pincers into the final shape. At first they used pincers made by blacksmiths, later used
mechanical splitters. Finally stone was finished on another lapping stone where the sand
was used as an abrasive.
Several families in the region were making living out of this during the 19 th century.1 They
were distributing their produce locally as well as further afield (Slovakia, Vienna ...) 2
1
2
Liptal book, Chapters from the history of the village in Wallachia, author Ladislav Ballerina et al., 1994
Author Interview with local eyewitnesses in the village Liptal
Sharpening stones made out of Wallachian sandstone
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The process of oselka produktion
Stone splitting
Produktion of oblong blanks
Mechanical splitting of rough shape
Oselka blank
Hand grinding into the final shape
Hand grinding replaced by mechanical
grinder
Karel Frýdl, whetstone maker of Liptal
Sharpening stones made out of Wallachian sandstone
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Technology of extraction
Search for raw stone for whetstones
Not all the material is suitable for production of whetstones, and so our ancestors
had traced places in the landscape, where sandstone veins emerged to the surface.
They explored these layers and subsequently they found a place suitable for quarrying the
stone. Width of the finest sandstone layer is reported to be in the range of 60 cm. From
one side it is followed by a layer with a somewhat coarser structure which is also
applicable to the production of whetstones. If they wanted to extract this material, they had
to either to excavate larger areas or to start mining. This way on side of surface quarrying
in Wallachia appeared simple mining pits in form of direct mining galleries.
Searching in a streams
Signs of vertical sandstone layering
Excavated place after uprooted tree
Sharpening stones made out of Wallachian sandstone
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Surface extraction - Quarries
Before breaking off the stone layers it is necessary to excavate top soil and 3-4 metres of
erosion damaged sandstone. They made this work easier for themselves by looking for
places on the hill sides, where it was faster and easier to get to the quality material.
A quarry from which the stone for whetstones was
quarried (2014)
Consequently, it was possible to quarry - break out the boards, which were transported to
their houses for further processing. Explosives were also used for disturbance of rock
layers.
Original way of rock extraction
Sharpening stones made out of Wallachian sandstone
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Minig
The need to obtain quality materials in greater volume led to the establishment of simple
mine works - direct galleries, which followed the layer of quality rock. The work was
dangerous and the professional security of these mine workings cannot be spoken of.
In comparison slate mined in the region of Nizky Jeseník was primarily designed as
material for roofing and only a very small part was used in the manufacturing of
sharpening stones. In contrast, in Wallachia was so extracted rock processed exclusively
for whetstones.
Sinter Gallery
This gallery is located in Liptál in Rokytenka valley in direction towards the village called
Kopřivne. The current name "Sinter" comes from name of mineral Sinter in a later period
after closure of mining. Sinter comes from dissolved limestone and it appears in the
gallery. Its length is given 40m. The very original entrance to the tunnel collapsed and the
present entrance is locked. There is winter nesting site for protected Lesser Horseshoe
Bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros) which is under the Protection of a Species of European
Importance. This mine is not open to the public.
Entrance to the mine/gallery
Extraction was carried out by
blasting with mining explosives.
Sandstone blocks were then
wrapped in chains and dragged out
of tunnel. There they were
subsequently split and chipped with
cold chisels into wheels. These pre
finished wheels were then
transported to the manufacture of
grinding wheels. It was still active
during the WW2 and shortly after.
Sharpening stones made out of Wallachian sandstone
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The gallery is "split" into two chambers. Division is probably to serve as reinforcement and
is formed from uncollected rock in about middle of the gallery/tunnel, below which is lintel
out of sandstone slab.
The firs part of the tunnel
In the second part lies on the ground roughly hewn block of sandstone in the shape of a
wheel, with dimensions of approximately 100 x 50 cm.
Last of processed blanks
End of the gallery
Sharpening stones made out of Wallachian sandstone
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Above this gallery used to be another one, but is already collapsed.
Trench in the forest left after collapse of
the upper gallery
On the opposite slope across the stream of Rokytenka used to be further galleries but they
are also caved in and the nature already erased all signs of them. They probably mined
the same quality layer as Sintrova gallery. To nowadays survived only 2 known mines for
sandstone extraction the others are all caved in.
Sharpening stones made out of Wallachian sandstone
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Sharpening stones
The shapes of sharpening stones
Apart from traditional Oselkas whetstone manufacturers produced other shapes of
whetstones as needed by customers. So they made rectangular whetstones, round or
triangular. They also produce grinding wheels, which, according to eyewitnesses were
used in glass factories for glass grinding. Whetstone makers also experimented with other,
non-regional materials from which they produced whetstones (slate, marble, sandstone
from other sites, ...).3
The range of sharpening stones of Karel Frýdl of Liptal
3
Interview with Marian FRÝDL whose ancestors were for several generations engaged in the production
of whetstones
Sharpening stones made out of Wallachian sandstone
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Whetstones of Karel Frydl of Liptal
Sharpening stones of Jaroslav Suchacek
Grinding stones out of sandstone and slate (2013)
Kombined sharpening stone
Sandstone/slate (2007)
Sandstone/marble (2014)
Sharpening stones made out of Wallachian sandstone
Combined sharpening stone sandstone/slate (2014)
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Oselkas (2014)
- sandstone- usual shape
- sandstone- rounded shape
- slate-rounded shape
Slipstones for honing tools (2014)
-marble
-sandstone
-slate
Sharpening stones made out of Wallachian sandstone
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Wallachian sandstone
I have not yet chemical analysis of samples of sandstone used for sharpening stones but
according analysis of sandstones can be estimated that there will be a content of around
50% SiO2 (silica - quartz). Highest quality sandstone from these sites is colored gray-blue
and has higher hardness, grinding produces smoother surface.
Sandstone of different color by origin (mining site) of the material and its quality.
Upper row:
1. Combo with slate (2007) Suchacek 150 x 45 x 30
2. Sample od grey sandstone (2013) Sintrova mine, 180 x 60 x 17
3. Benchstone (2012) Suchacek, 200 x 80 x 50
Lower row:
4. Sample (2013), Suchacek, 103 x 32 x 14
5. Oselka (199?), Frydl, 200 x 35 x 11
6. Whetstone (198?), Suchacek 98 x 27 x 7
7. Sample (2013), Suchacek 105 x 27 x 14
Sharpening stones made out of Wallachian sandstone
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Comparison dry x wet
Sharpening stones made out of Wallachian sandstone
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Combo with slate (2007), Suchacek
Benchstone (2012), Suchacek
Oselka (199?), Frydl
Sample of grey sandstone (2013), Sintrova
Sample (2013), Suchacek
Whetstone (198?), Suchacek
Sample (2013), Suchacek
Sharpening stones made out of Wallachian sandstone
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Successors of the tradition
Currently is only Jaroslav Sucháček involved in commercial production of whetstones. He
is following his family tradition which he took over from his father.
Jaroslav Suchacek junior operates production in Lhota u Vsetína and also presents
production oselka stones in the Wallachian Open Air Museum in Rožnově pod
Radhoštěm.
Thanks to
Frantisek Mikoška, to provide its document "Production of whetstones in Wallachia" from
the series Czech folk crafts and consent to the use of images.
Marian Frydl for talking about the family tradition of producing whetstones.
Jaroslav Sucháček senior for a description of the production of whetstones and extraction
of sandstone.
Jaroslav Sucháčkek junior for lending samples for photography
Other inhabitants of the village Liptal for valuable memories of the extraction of sandstone
Joseph Szalai, speleoclub Orcus for facilitating professional tour of mines.
Henk Bos for inspiration and valuable advice
Other citizens and communities Liptal and Lhota u Vsetína for commemorative narrative.
Stepan and Ali Ptacek for translation to English
Author: Radek Kubičík
Used photos: author, František Mikoška, Tomáš Lédr
Version 1
publicated: 24. 11. 2014
© Radek Kubičík, 2014
Sharpening stones made out of Wallachian sandstone
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