"NATURAL Whetstone Company" "Black Arkansas"

[SageWisdom]

I purchased a "Black Arkansas" "1200 grit" stone from "Natural Whetstone Company" and when I first received the stone I noticed that it wasn't smooth or black like I had anticipated.

I added some honing oil and the stone quickly became dark black and I decided to burnish the stone by simply using it. After this process was completed, I realised that the stone was leaving a MUCH coarser scratch pattern than my other Arkansas stones and a stone I had purchased as part of a Trihone kit. The stone had also become dished, which made me realize how low quality this stone actually was.

I decided to flatten the stone with a 220 grit piece of silicon carbide sandpaper and quickly realized this process was completed in a fraction of the time my other two Arkansas stones required. The other Arkansas stones I had took an incredible amount of time to even start to remove the grid marks and this stone was finished in mere minutes while producing swarf instantly.



The moral of the story is: purchase your stone from a reputable seller like Dan's Arkansas Stones and don't try to save money like I did, only to receive an inferior product.

 

[David Martin]

Yep, I have heard this before.
Plus, the real jet black stones are getting harder to find and are pricey when one is found. My black was slow to level. DM

 

[bucketstove]

The moral of the story is: purchase your stone from a reputable seller like Dan's Arkansas Stones and don't try to save money like I did, only to receive an inferior product.

Hi,
What are those black lines on the stone after you're done lapping?

Have you sent the video to natural whetstone company and what did they say?

I hear tell even "soft arkansas" stones can be black in color

I also hear tell if you call up Dan's, you can save money buy buying 1/6th finished "Primitive" stone (one flattened surface )

update: for comparison, about 2 minutes with F46
Flattening / Lapping Black Arkansas sharpening stone from Natural Whetstone Company - stefanwolf88

 

[SageWisdom]

Hi,
What are those black lines on the stone after you're done lapping?

Have you sent the video to natural whetstone company and what did they say?

I hear tell even "soft arkansas" stones can be black in color

I also hear tell if you call up Dan's, you can save money buy buying 1/6th finished "Primitive" stone (one flattened surface )

update: for comparison, about 2 minutes with F46
Flattening / Lapping Black Arkansas sharpening stone from Natural Whetstone Company - stefanwolf88

The lines are used to see low spots or uneven spots in the stone when you are lapping (flattening) the stone.

I have not sent the video to them. I called and they basically told me I had to return the stone. I didn't return it immediately because I figured it had to be worn in first. I would have to purchase a box and pad it to make sure it gets there undamaged and then pay the shipping costs associated with sending it back. At this point it isn't worth it. I'll just chalk it up as a learning experience.

 

[SageWisdom]

Yep, I have heard this before.
Plus, the real jet black stones are getting harder to find and are pricey when one is found. My black was slow to level. DM

Sounds like you got a good stone! My friend's surgical black is smooth as glass and a dark black color. I expected this stone to the same but as soon as I got it, It became evident it wasn't anywhere near the quality of my friends.

 

[David Martin]

No other Arkansas is black.
Mine came from Norton, in the original box. Call Dan's and ask them to pick you out one that fits your description. It will be money well spent and in the end you'll be happy. I use mine for my razor blade as the final stone. It gives a good shave. The middle top stone is the blackest. The Pinnacle from WoodCraft is the one I had to level. The lower left & right stones are Washita from a roadside vendor near Hot Springs and a Norton translucent at upper center. These are the standard colors of these grade stones. DM

 

[bucketstove]

The lines are used to see low spots or uneven spots in the stone when you are lapping (flattening) the stone.

Well yeah,
but why are they still visible if stone is getting flattened rapidly ?
Or, what does the video demonstrate?

I would have to purchase a box and pad it to make sure it gets there undamaged and then pay the shipping costs associated with sending it back. At this point it isn't worth it. I'll just chalk it up as a learning experience.

International shipping ?

 

[David Martin]

To level the Pinnacle black Arkansas stone it took me an hour of rubbing with coarse 120 grit SiC and I finished it on 240 grit. There
is no way I'd do this in my wife's kitchen. I took it out doors to the back patio. The large stone in the picture (a washita) is a 4"x 8" stone. Which took me some time to level and I knew it when I bought it. But I wanted that size stone. It is a really nice size stone
to work a large blade on. Good luck, DM

 

[SageWisdom]

Well yeah,
but why are they still visible if stone is getting flattened rapidly ?
Or, what does the video demonstrate?


International shipping ?

The video demonstrates that after a few seconds of rubbing the store has already worn down on the majority of the surface area. A hard Arkansas stone should take an extremely long time to even begin to get rid of the grid marks.