Identifying whetstones
Hones worn hollow by centuries of sharpened edges.
A whetstone is a fine-grained stone bar worn by blade sharpening: look for dished, polished faces, rounded-over edges, and long striations running with the stroke. Many are pierced at one end for a suspension cord — a pierced, worn bar is a hone until proven otherwise.
Good hone stones were traded widely (Norwegian ragstone and other named sources moved across the Viking and medieval worlds), so material can hint at trade routes. Distinguish from natural water-worn pebbles by the flattened, faceted wear planes and the concentration of polish where fingers never rub.
Record length, section, degree of dishing on each face, and any piercing. A heavily-waisted hone tells of generations of edges; note it as the working biography it is.