Do I really need it?

Z

zach2556

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Okay so I got a Norton India Stone, 2 sided off the internet, here it is.

http://www.sharpeningsupplies.com/Norton-Combination-India-Stone-P69C25.aspx

On the side of the box it says "Use Norton Oil for best results"

Now a buddy of mine has one and he never uses oil or water and it works but would it be better to use at least water for it? I can't find the oil around here and I don't have any money to order it off line and somone said I can use it without anything or with water and itll work so I'v come here to clarify if thats true.


Thanks.
-Zach
 
It will work without oil but remember to clean the stone often or it will clog with metal and stop working.
 
If you apply oil to the stone you must continue to use oil. To clean you can use soap and water or a abrasive cleaner like barkeepers friend, a abrasive cleaner would be best.
 
Okay I have bar keepers friend how should I clean it? Wet the stone, sprinkle some bar keepers friend on and then scrub with a toothbrush, would that work?
 
zach2556 said:
Okay I have bar keepers friend how should I clean it? Wet the stone, sprinkle some bar keepers friend on and then scrub with a toothbrush, would that work?
Click to expand...

You got it :thumbup:
 
Thanks! I'm sharpening my skinning knife real quick just finished my gutter and then I'm going to wash it real good :)
 
Zach,
that BKF has oxalic acid in the powder. You can smell the chemical reaction of the acid eating the metal (or something), but it works great. I used a stiff bristle dish brush. I did fling some of that cleanser in my eye, from the bristles and it was not fun. Nothing major, just be careful. We do not want you to have to change your name to Blinkey.
 
Oil stones work better with oil. You can use water but it doesn't work as well. You can use it without any lubrication and it will be slow and clog. The purpose of the lubrication is to "wash" away the steel and abrasive particles to keep fresh ones coming to the surface. When I used oil stones, I used gun oil as a lubricant. Any oil of that consistency will work just fine.
 
I had a Norton Coarse/Fine stone and used it dry for years. It did clog and it was a pain to lap and get it working again. That said, it saw a lot of hard use for many years before getting to that point. Mine came pre-soaked in oil, so starting fresh with water wasnt an option. I bought it from Grainger, so some other suppliers may not have the pre-soaked ones.
 
I use baby oil, works like a charm. When toothbrush doesn't really clean the stone, I usually just rub it with my hand (with soap of course) and I get better result. Weird, huh ? But true.
 
I have used both Buck honing oil and kerosene. They both work well, but the honing oil doesn't smell...
 
My silicon carbide stone has shown *very* little evidence of loading and I've used it dry since I got several years ago. I think I've cleaned it off a few times using dish soap and my fingers. The fine india stone on the other side (aluminum oxide) shows metal on the surface after use, but it too washes off with dish soap and fingers.

My Spyderco ceramic stones show metal on the surface after just a bit of sharpening, but I can't really tell the difference. I'm not sure if they are cutting a little slower, or if it's just psychological. Either way, they wash up very quickly, again with dish soap and fingers.

So, unless you have Arkansas stones that have already had oil used on them, I say use them dry. It works fine and this mystical "loading" happens very slowly on most stones. Wash them every dozen sharpening sessions (or less) and you'll be fine.

Brian.
 
I've been using a mild cleaner like Mr. Clean or Simple Green for years. Spritz it on the stone occasionally while using and you'll see the steel wash off.
 
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