Holystones

[JohnnyTarr]

Well the topics are telling you what I am looking for. Can you help me?

[Captain Jim]

It is highly unlikely that you will find a "holystone" dealer in the Yellow Pages. Holystones were simply slabs of sandstone of various sizes. You can find suppliers of sandstone, usually under the garden or construction categories. Sandstone is used for walls, foundations and garden pavers and can be had in a variety of dimensioned sizes. A quick and by no means exhaustive search of the 'net turned up this one: http://www.granite-sandstone.com/sandstone-raw-blocks.html

I hope this helps.

[JohnnyTarr]

all it is, is sandstone? I thought that it might be a specific type. "Holystone is a soft and brittle sandstone that was formerly used for scouring and whitening the wooden decks of ships." This I got from Wikipedia and what started me on this idea of a specific type.

[Captain Jim]

That's it, mate. There may have been preferences in jolly olde England for the stones provided by certain quarries and this may be in the record somewhere, but for the most part it's just basic sandstone, of the softer varieties I would imagine.

[Dutchman]

limestone was also used if sandstone was not available. if things got desperate a brick from town would serve as well. an interesting note, fine bricks were used as the original sandpaper

[Scupper]

Aye. I've heard that limestone was used as well. it was easier to get and cheaper than sandstone.

[Rev.Sam]

I had always heard Holystones were limestones. I guess I have learned something new today

[JohnnyTarr]

I love to learn new things. Just another reason I love this site.