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quite possibly the stupidest question ever asked, but how long does

F

fmajor007

Joined
Apr 1, 2010
Messages
1,583
a genuine Smith's Arkansas sharpening stone last (depending on use, etc)?

Or can a stone become worn out?

Or possibly, how do you *know* if a stone is worn out?

Enjoy the laughs - they're on me!
 
Well, first off: wouldn't this be better asked in the Maintenance, Tinkering, and Embellishment forum? That is the forum where sharpening methods and tools are discussed.
 
If it is a true Arkansas stone (noviculite, also called Ouachita or Washita stones), it will get clogged with debris and dried oils long before it wears out. They can be cleaned, or if worn to a dish shape or groved, can be resurfaced.

ETA: No, it isn't a stupid question. Asking is the best way to learn.
 
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HOT soapy water and a stiff brush will clean the gunk out of your stone. A lapping plate, flattening stone or silicon carbide sprinkled on a piece of glass will help you to resurface the stone. Good luck, keep 'em sharp.
 
It depends on the thickness of the stone and how often it is used.

The biggest problem you face is making sure the stone stays as flat as possible. You don't want to sharpen your knives in the same "spot" every time, you can form grooves in the stones that will mess up your sharpening. As never2sharp said, a lapping plate or flattening stone will be needed to resurface the stone on occasion.
 
Ooops - if in the wrong place, MOD's please move and i'll track along w/it there!!!!

Thanks for info so far!!! I 'clean' it about everytime i use it (and w/water only), so i don't think there's gunk in the surface...

There aren't any grooves in the stone that i can see (looking very closely...), so maybe i need to give thought to this 're-surface' thing... Kinda sounds complicated (material for things like this, i suspect, will be very difficult to source here in Sarajevo, Bosnia).

BTW, it's a "Smith's Brand" Arkansas stone - i don't know beyond that it's material composition.....
 
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fmajor007 said:
Ooops - if in the wrong place, MOD's please move and i'll track along w/it there!!!!

Thanks for info so far!!! I 'clean' it about everytime i use it (and w/water only), so i don't think there's gunk in the surface...

There aren't any grooves in the stone that i can see (looking very closely...), so maybe i need to give thought to this 're-surface' thing... Kinda sounds complicated (material for things like this, i suspect, will be very difficult to source here in Sarajevo, Bosnia).

BTW, it's a "Smith's Brand" Arkansas stone - i don't know beyond that it's material composition.....
Click to expand...

Plate glass is usually very flat and available. The silicon carbide might be harder to get. Plain wet/dry silicon oxide sand paper might work depending on the hardness of the stone.
 
Sounds like they have you covered. Lapp it and clean it and it will last you a lifetime. DM
 
I'm of the opinion that a stone used in the home for maintenance and sharpening can become a family heirloom. As long as it's lapped and kept clean, I don't see a way to wear one out as long as you're not doing professional frequency sharpening or you're not a knife nut doing experiments on rebeveling and such. As long as you're just using it to keep up the kitchen knives, pocket knife(s), and the seasonal hunting knife and such, the stone and the knives can last a generation or two. I still carry and use 2 of my dad's pocket knives, one of which I've had for nearly a quarter century. I learned to sharpen on it, and it got a lot of practice, so it's quite worn down and could do with a trip to Buck for a new blade if they do that sort of thing. The Arkansas stone I practiced on also dished, but I lapped it and it was fine, until I dropped it. The other knife is a large trapper, and I rebeveled it to the angles I want and have only needed a few touch ups on each blades since. The clip blade is set at 12 deg/side, and the spey at 17. Had they not gotten broken, I'd still have my Arkansas stones my dad gave me when I was 12 (I'm 36 now), when he gave me the Buck pocket knife.
 
arkansas whet stone? the sharpening comes from the pores in the stone. which is the natural grain of the stone. so your stone can be worn all the way down to half the original size of the stone and still sharpen your knife as long as its clean and everything.
 
I have an old stone that was my fathers. It must be thirty years old by now. Its never gotten a huge ammount of use though. I always use water and have not had to lap it yet. I have heard that you can use an xtra coarse diamond stone to lap with but I have not tried it.
 
you can also use a new concrete block to lap a stone on. if the stone is dished out and needs quite a bit removed, a rough sidewalk will take it down faster before going to a concrete block.
 
THanks HH!!!

Well, i'm now convinced i need to buy another sharpening stone. I'm not going to try the lapping/re-conditioning thing for something that costs, iirc, less than $20. I'd spend more time/energy/fuel shopping for the components than the cost of another stone.

When i return to the States, i'll drop Smith's a line and find out what they will do - if anything.

THanks all!!!
 
Codger_64 said:
If it is a true Arkansas stone (noviculite, also called Ouachita or Washita stones), it will get clogged with debris and dried oils long before it wears out. They can be cleaned, or if worn to a dish shape or groved, can be resurfaced.

ETA: No, it isn't a stupid question. Asking is the best way to learn.
Click to expand...

This was absolutely NOT a stupid question.

But it does remind me of my distant youth, and a truly stupid question.

A small team of hard-working, under-appreciated lab rats working on a mega-watt class X-ray device. Just finished cleaning up, refurbishing, and re-filling the capacitor bank (about 10,000 pounds worth!). Way down below in the back-up control room I hear Jason: "This isn't the firing switch is it?"

Just as he dropped the switch.

Yes, truly a stupid question.
 
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