Question about Arkansas stones

W

Windwhistler

Joined
Aug 18, 2013
Messages
281
Hi guys,

I guess because of age, I came up sharpening on Arkansas stones from soft to hard. It is what I learned on since I was taught by a WWII veteran Marine who always had a shaving sharp belt knife and I learned from him. I have over the years given them up to nephews and find myself with little to sharpen stuff around here. I went out looking for more, looked in several catalogues etc. I found plenty of man made stones and plenty of diamond sharpeners. It seems that natural stones are being discontinued and or the stone is "all gone." Does anyone know a good source besides cruising older stores and searching for NOS? Is the Arkansas stone indeed running out??
 
Just put "Arkansas hard stone" or "Arkansas whet stone" in a search engine and plenty of on-line sources will be listed.
 
I went with "Arkansas Whet stones" and indeed there are plenty. Thanks Leghog! I even see some just like I gave up 20 years ago to the nephews.
 
I have found a good number of resources too. Let us know if you have any trouble locating a specific type.
I used Arkansas stones too off, and on, ever since the 70's but have mostly used DMT stuff the last few years.
 
When I was a little kid in the 50's I lived on a farm and my granddad had a tool room with an old broken grinder wheel laying up on the tool bench. I'd watch the hired guys pull out their pocket knives and slather oil on that piece of grindstone to sharpen their knives. And they got them shaving sharp even though the grit was much larger than a soft Arkansas stone. I think the oil created a slurry of smaller sized grit on top of that broken stone that eventually worked for them. I tried it several times on my little, cheap hunting knife from the hardware store "sabre" display. Then about 1963, a buddy of mine's dad who always had the sharpest knife, showed me an Arkansas stone and how to use it. I got hold of one at the trading post of the local Boy Scout Camp during summer and never went without one again..... until the last few years. I know I gave several away and some ceramic stuff I didn't like using as well. But they were all in one box and I can't seem to find it. Anyway, I will be placing an order for several in the next several days. Thanks guys!!
 
I bought my Arkansas stones from amazon. For a soft, hard and a black stone I paid eighty dollars and I couldn't be happier
 
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