For your consideration is this early 1900s curling stone made by John Smith Russell for a J. D. Hanlon in Butte, Montana. Scottish curling stone maker J. S. Russell, also known as John Smith Russell, had a key impact on the creation of the current curling stone. The typical curling stone was 40 pounds in weight and made of granite in the middle of the 19th century. These stones had to be mined and fashioned by hand, which made them pricey and challenging to transport. As a stonemason by trade, Russell recognized an opportunity to enhance this design. Ailsa Craig granite, a rare, dense, and resilient variety of granite, was used by Russell in 1870 to create a novel sort of curling stone. This new stone was much smoother and more consistent than its predecessors, and its greater density allowed it to be made smaller and lighter. The new stone weighed only about 38 pounds, making it easier to handle and transport. Ailsa Craig stones had taken over as the standard for the sport by the 1880s as curlers immediately adopted Russell's design. Nearly all curling stones are still manufactured of Ailsa Craig granite today, and many are still created by Kays of Scotland, the business Russell founded. The curling stone features a concave bottom, a staple to J. S. Russell made curling stones, with a brass and wood handle. On the underside of the handle it reads, "J. S. Russell / Toronto". On the underside of the leather separator between the stone and the handle it reads in faded ink, "J. D. Hanlon / Butte". The stone shows black and grey granite with a faded, black painted "1" on one side of the stone. The curling stone shows good condition for its vintage age with wear from use.

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