Ayr stone

Description

A hard, fine-grain, uniform Whetstone used as an abrasive for Metal and Marble. Ayr stone was named for the Ayr river in Scotland where it was first found. Sticks and blocks made from Ayr stone were often used by sculptors to sharpen blades and for finishing polishes.

Synonyms and Related Terms

Scotch stone; water-of-Ayr; snakestone; Scotch hone

Comparisons

Properties of Common Abrasives

Sources Checked for Data in Record

• G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 559

• Ralph Mayer, A Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques, Harper and Row Publishers, New York, 1969 (also 1945 printing)

• R.M.Organ, Design for Scientific Conservation of Antiquities, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, 1968