Rubbing Bricks

John Stortz & Son rubbing brick

A concrete rubbing brick, also called a rub brick, is used by masons and stone workers for rubbing lumps and form marks from concrete. The stone is extra-coarse silicon carbide, and diagonal flutes make a shearing action and carry away debris. Smooth rubbing bricks are used by other trades to dressing grinding wheels and cleaning or scouring metal castings.

This vintage rubbing brick was made by John Stortz and Son of Philadelphia, PA. The stone is reversible, with both fluted and smooth sides, and the holder is cast iron. Modern rubbing bricks have a plastic handle fused to the brick, or no handle.