In a fine bit of informative writing, John informs us of his
researchinto 18th Century sharpening:

[heavily snipped]

> With our focus squarely on the 18th century, we can eliminate manmade
> abrasive stones and the many types of Arkansas stones as 19th and 20th
> century sharpening tools. Based on period documents, it=E2=80=99s
> clear that the primary fin ishing stone used for final sharpening was
> the Turkey stone (Turkey oilstone, Turkey slate). Like many imported
> minerals in the 18th century, it was so named because it was quarried
> and imported from central Turkey. Turkey stone is a very fine-grained
> siliceous rock

On another historical note, the 21 March 1755 edition of the
VirginiaGazette contains the following ad from Anthony Hay, owner of thewell-
known cabinet shop in Colonial Williamsburg where Mack Headleyand crew
ply their craft today (caps are mine) -

"Just Imported, and to be sold, by the Subscribers in Williamsburg,
aLARGE assortment of Carpenters, Joiners, and Cabinet-Makers
Tools,consisting of White's Steel Plate Saws of all sorts, Glue
Jointers,long Planes, Bench Planes, Tooth and Smoothing ditto, Moulding
Planesof all Sorts, Plane Irons, Chissels, Formers, Scribing Gouges,
Rasps,Files, TURKEY OIL-STONES, GERMAN SLATES, and a Variety of
otherThings."

This certainly seems to support what John already noted.

Dennis Heyza Macomb MI

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