For the french residents among us..27 th Feb 2025, chez Lidl, "combi" sharpening stones €6.99

[mwinfrance]

Not a sharpening thread, honest ..But in case you have n't seen the current Lidl catalogue ? This coming Thursday 27 ( Jeudi ) they are again doing combination sharpening stones . Grit ( grain ) 1000 / 6000 and 400 / 800 . In a "non slip" bamboo box. With ( he whispered ) guides included , for those who use them.
I've had some of these before, for the price they are not bad.The big river sellers have identical ones beginning at twice the price.I figured at this price I can keep them anywhere that I'm likely to need them for a quick "go" before honing.I'm going to buy them again as when I've built the extension to the atelier ( it will take it from 20 sq metres to 40 sq metres..which is still small compared with the 300 sq metres + that I had in the midi ) I can keep a set of sharpening things at either end to save walking, not getting any younger. Vein problems in the left leg , old knee cartilage injury on same leg, and two slipped discs in lower back, means some days walking to and fro is to be avoided.

How you sharpen , and what with, is your affair, IMO life is too short for sharpening wars.

 

[TomTrees]

I was nearly tempted to get them last year, and had a wee look at an opened red/white hone last week,
seemed alright, fairly tidy looking, though thought strange the base being a lot larger than the hones.
edit: looking online, seems there is something inbetween the hone and base, which I thought was a non slip mat.

Now I didn't read the booklet, but the box didn't say if they were intended for oil or water.
Might buy one if they go on discount, as hopefully those who wanted them got some the last time round,
though perhaps not if they don't work with H20.

 

[mwinfrance]

According to a friend who is a manager of our local Lidl, they ( shop managers ) can discount anything that has a normal price of under €20.00, if it isn't moving and there are only a couple left. Normally "discounting" won't happen till about two weeks after the relevant catalogue end date at the earliest. Also the "discount" on everything ( when applied ) has moved from 30% to 25% this year ( times are hard ) , as far as I know these stones are not cheaper if you have their app. I don't..( shonky pile of mutts dos that most apps are ) it wants to do far too many things and have access to far too many things on my personal phone. I might try putting onto my business one as godaddy ( back when they were the registrar for all our dot coms ) sold that number and it gets so spammed that i don't answer it all all now, must get another number and another phone for the "business phone"..Hate spammers!

Japanese "boxes" are bigger than the stones IIRC, might be an "Asian thing". Fortunately "J" will not be along to "tell us".

 

[jimhanna]

Now I didn't read the booklet, but the box didn't say if they were intended for oil or water.

The ones I bought last year in Lidl (Northern Ireland) same grit sizes are water stones.
Regards Jim

 

[mwinfrance]

Thanks Jim. Saved me having to tidy up ( Stygian stables level ) tomorrow to find mine to see if I'd kept the boxes, or the booklet. Jogged my memory, yep, water stones they were. No "guides" last time , we'll know for sure what they are Thursday. Going to be putting a sink in the extended atelier, we have a well and now all rainwater must be "contained on the property" , so drainage and 2 cubic metres of water storage going in too.
Already have oil stones..somewhere ..likewise diamond thingies.

 

[TomTrees]

The ones I bought last year in Lidl (Northern Ireland) same grit sizes are water stones.
Regards Jim

Cheers Jim
Tom

 

[mwinfrance]

Next Monday, the same shop has...spokeshaves ( rabot à tirer*) and mini planes ( rabot* ) at under €5.oo each !
Just for a larf
I've got to go there anyway, Mme wants some velo stuff. Lidl's padded velo seats are extremely good , and she does between 12 and 15 km daily to get to see her dementia etc clients on her VVT, rain or shine, snow, or hail..only thing stops her using her bike, is really windy days, as at 45 kg fully clothed and soaking wet she gets blown all over the road, so she walks it all on those days.

Gwaaaarn , you know you want to go for a look at a €4.99 spokeshave or mini plane..could be collectors items one day .

ps. The guides ( ( plastic grippers ) for use on the sharpening stones ( I just bought two more, water stones, not too shabby ) are to hold kitchen knives at an angle, not for chisels or plane blades. So "J" , in "the other place" will be disappointed. The "non slip" bits are between the stones and the bamboo base and again on the entire base, twixt it and the bench / table.

* you don't pronounce the "s" in french when it is at the end of the words, so I 've translated them as if they were singular. easier for anyone who is not fluent to ask for "ra-bo a teer-ay" and "ra-bo" .

They are also doing shaping discs for grinders, these are extremely good value, Diamond faced last for ever, superb for all stone work €5.99. I buy loads ( this is a granite and schist area ) , and wood sculpting discs , which are also extremely good ( and dangerous ) for €3.99 ( these fly out, as similar in tools shops are unobtanium and very spendy ) , but not to even think about if you are not happy with things like one handed tree surgeons trimming chain saws with sculpting blades and chains. Personally having used ( still do ) lots of both, I think these sculpture discs are if anything more dangerous than a small 2 stroke chainsaw. Lidl chainsaws are not too shabby either for the price, but they come fitted with what are definitely not "beginners chains", they claim to be anti kick back, Hah. I don't mind them at all, but they are not for a first time user.

 

[TomTrees]

Had to look up those, just to see what they looked like...
Can't say I wasn't sort'a pleased!

 

[Mike G]

......Mme wants some velo stuff. Lidl's padded velo seats are extremely good , and she does between 12 and 15 km daily to get to see her dementia etc clients on her VVT, rain or shine, snow, or hail..only thing stops her using her bike, is really windy days, as at 45 kg fully clothed and soaking wet she gets blown all over the road, so she walks it all on those days.....

Wow, she sounds a real trooper.

 

[Steve Maskery]

I picked up my two today from Be;;ac. I haven't used them yet, but on first sight thry look OK.
Ive no idea why I bought them, really, I have several sharpening options already, including water stones. I find myself kepping going back to my dad's Arkansas stone. It's old but still acceptably flat and very, very good.
S

 

[mwinfrance]

Went to Lidl today, there were actually some sculpture discs left. So I bought them ( 2 ) and some "rasp discs" ( all are 125 mm, I've never seen 115mm discs of any sort in Lidl ) , and a tiny plane and their spokeshave. Tiny plane uses what look to be very thick "razor blade" cutters. You get two , for €5.00 it may come in handy. The spokeshave has a better cutter blade, still 'orribly basic, but again, for €5.00, if you only ever use it to shape one "thing", handy.

But the real bargain ( and it was mentioned nowhere in the catalogue ), on the shelf above were pipe clamps. In France pipe clamps are like rocking horse sh!t ! Never seen them in Lidl , nor any "big box" tool shops ( Leroy Merlin , casto, brico machin etc ) nor any of the specialist tool shops. Only online, sometimes, usually sold out , and spendy. Lidl's are to fit 3/4 tubes, are cast iron, heavy ( not smooth finished ) but solid, and €6.95, so I bought all they had 10 sets.

I have a trade account with Prolians for all my metal, so I pay around €20.00 for a 6 metre length of very solid iron or steel pipe

Doors to make later this year or early next. No doorway , inside or out, here in this house is remotely standard size, not height, nor width.I think that all the doors were made to measure.

The way Lidl here in France are , pipe clamps might show up again in 3 months, 3 years, or never again.

* Correction pipe clamps ( serre-joint à tube** ) were in the catalogue, just above the spokeshave and planes.They are dark green " parkside livery" and were printed on a mid green background, missed them completely when I read the catalogue in bad light.

** ser jwan ah tube ...will do for phonetic pronunciation, if you are asking for them .