What Is This Hand Hone? (Pics)

[Joshua M. Smith]

Hello,

I found this hone next to the blackthorn cane I purchased at the antiques store:







Maybe I'm sheltered, but I've never seen a hone like this; just flat ones.

It felt very smooth and possibly a bit soft, so I figure it was a portable version of a razor strop. Got out to the car and tried it on a knife with very good steel... and it bit into the edge, so much so that two swipes had that old KillABeAR shaving!

Now, this is much better than I've experienced with any modern hones... including diamond. This thing is something else!

But what is it? And more importantly, what's up with the shape? It looks like a spear point! Is there any specific way one should go about using it? I figure if there weren't, it would be flat on either side and not have the spear point shape.

Looks like it may be made to help keep angles better, but I simply do not know.

Does anyone know what this might be, and can you help me out with it?

Thank you very much.

Regards,

Josh

 

[plumberroy]

It is for a sicle or mowing scythe to carry in you pocket for touch up at least that is what I have been told
Roy

 

[rcmodel]

+1 sickle bar mower.

While they could be used for sharpening anything around the farm from shovels to knives?
The V-shape on one side would suggest they were made to sharpen hay mower sickle bars.

http://edgetoolworks.wordpress.com/tag/sickle-bar/

http://www.tramsales.com/mowers/143/72-maschio-sickle-bar-mowers

rc

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

When I was in Serbia I used to watch the fellas laying up silage with old world scythes and while any number of guys would be cutting and stacking, one Serbsky would be sitting nearby tuning the blades one at a time as cutters came by and traded out dulled for sharp. The tuner would unroll a cloth of several different grades of tools much like the one you show along with files.