Hi everyone.
I am looking at purchasing a decent bench stone, but I really do not know where to start. I looked at lansky's Arkansas and they do not look to bad and I also looked into kershaws bench stones.
I do not know anything about Arkansas so please explain to me what are the difference between Arkansas and normal bench stone? Also, do one get different grits in arkansas? I see you get hard and soft, but why?
So please. Educate me
Thank you
Here's a quick and dirty run down... but don't quote me. I make mistakes often!
"Arkansas" stones are made of a mineral called Noviculite. Noviculite is just one of many 'cherts' that can be used for sharpening. The term "chert" is used to generally refer to all rocks composed primarily of microcrystalline, cryptocrystalline and microfibrous quartz, including flint, agate, and jasper. There are/were large noviculite deposits in the states of Arkansas and Oklahoma in the US and so the name got applied. Today these deposits are getting played out, and the quality of stone isn't as good as it was 50 years ago, hence the development of quality man-made sharpening stone. The grit size of the stone being cut today is not as uniform as the older quarried stone.
"Soft" Arkansas stones have a larger grit size than the "Hard" stones, and so cut faster but leave a more toothy edge. This saw-toothed edge can be refined by following the soft stone with a session on the Hard Arkansas stone, however if you are going to be cutting fiberous material such as rope or cloth you might want to leave that toothier edge...
It slices better than a polished edge. (This is why cheap serrated knives work!)
Perhaps what you are calling a 'normal bench stone' might be noviculite or some other chert, or it might be one of those double sided silicon carbide or corundum stones you find in the hardware section of department stores. These are just a different material, and usually of a coarser grit. They work, but do not leave as fine an edge as Arkansas stones and are often called 'oil stones' as it's traditional to use honing oil with them. The term 'bench stone' just means 'a stone that is used while it's laying flat on the workbench.' It's not a 'specific type' of mineral.
Modern man-made ceramic stones will produce a better edge than 'most' of the newer Arkansas stones simply because the ceramic is of a uniform grit size and is harder than the natural stone. Noviculite stones will wear out with use, forming a hollow middle of the stone instead of staying flat. (Easy to correct, but the stone does wear down.) The modern ceramic stones will remain flat for a much, much longer time, and combined with the uniform grit, produce a better edge more easily. Another plus for the ceramic stones is that they are used dry, without oil, making for a much cleaner job!
Just to throw gas on the fire, you might also choose diamond 'stones.' These are just some sort of base material with a layer of monocrystolline man-made diamonds embedded in it. They are also sold by grit size or simply 'fine,' 'medium,' or 'coarse.' These cut metal VERY fast, last forever, need no oil, but cost more to begin with.
Choose your grit sizes for the job at hand. Smaller number grit (coarse) will cut faster so begin your sharpening with that. Anywhere from 120-300 grit will be good for removing a lot of metal quickly. Then use something between 600-800 (medium) for a very good working edge. If you really want an edge to be razor sharp, then move to a ceramic stone with grit between 1000-4000 (fine.) By the time you finish you'll have a razor edge. Just don't shave with it. For that you want to use (extra-fine) 8,000-12,000 grit.
Now that you know about stones, take a look at a YouTube video about knife sharpening. In fact, take a look at several different ones, because everyone has his/her own way do to it, and all of them are 'the best way!'
Stitchawl
