I am guessing that this was a special custom order from the factory. Normally, the HIB 27 set was this box, with one hard Arkansas Stone and 1 India stone.
H = hard, I = India, B = box, 27 = 2” x 7” stones.
But this set has 1 Black Ark, and one Translucent Ark. There is no India stone. It seems to be unused, there does not seem to be any oil present in or on the box and the felt liners are brand new and unstained. It is possible the stones were taken out to test, but I am not sure about that. What I do know is that the carboard box only shows shelf wear, the wood box shows no wear and the finish feels brand new. The hardware is super clean too. If it isn’t NOS, then it is darn close. A super set, definitely a once in a lifetime find.
