What oil for oil stones

Z---Oil stones are out dated. Use water stones or Dry stones. Spyderco's dry stones are excellent! I'm moving to a belt grinder and a buffer!!
 
I like mineral oil, the heavy kind you find at a pharmacy. Others like something much thinner like kerosene or odorless lamp oil ... or you can blend the two to make whatever viscosity you like.
 
Oil stones will never be "outdated!"
WD 40 works great on them.
 
I'm with Bill, WD-40, is an expensive but very convenient way to oil a stone. It's usually that or my can of Outers gun oil. What you got is what usually gets used.
 
severtecher said:
I'm with Bill, WD-40, is an expensive but very convenient way to oil a stone. It's usually that or my can of Outers gun oil. What you got is what usually gets used.
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I seem to recall that Jerry Fisk uses WD-40 on a fine india stone, which is a good recommendation in itself. Medium india which I often use is more porous and so something thicker seems to work better and stay on the surface longer. But really, most any oil will get the job done ... the important thing IMO is just to use something so that you don't wind up loading the stone up with metal.
 
I use different weights of oil depending on how corse of stone, how dull the edge, what I am trying to do. I use 3 n one, gun oil, WD-40, honing oil, maybe a little Break Away to clean, and do mix them on my stones to get the right viscosity. Just trial and error to get what I like to get the edge desired.
 
I tried Kerosene, but it's very smelly. I'm going to try lamp oil, but so far I've liked Buck's honing oil.
 
Would someone suggest a supply source for quart or gallon of mineral oil that would be cheaper than the drug store variety? It doesn't have to be the "food safe" type.
 
I'm certainly no expert at sharpening, but I have used a small plastic bottle of Automatic Transmission Fluid for years. Very inexpensive, as a half cup will last you years, easily cleaned, and is thin enough to float off lots of metal. Just wipe your stones afterward, with paper towel, wash any knives used for food, and go from there.
 
I second the recommendation for a mixture of odorless lamp oil (very pure kerosene) mixed with mineral oil/baby oil. Mix to your desired viscosity.

Pure oil is a lubricant, IOW, it keeps a barrier between the knife and the stone, which is exactly what you don't want. Lamp oil/kerosene is thin and helps the stone to cut fast, which is exactly what you do want. Mixing the two will give you a good combination of fast cutting and a stone that does not load up.

I concur: oilstones will never be outdated. When guys like Jerry Fisk, Ed Fowler, Wayne Goddard, and others need nothing but a Fine India to get great edges....

John
 
Do most makers use stones to sharpen their blades? NO. Belt grinder and a buffer. Why use oil or water when you can use Dry or diamond stones?
 
Lycosa said:
Do most makers use stones to sharpen their blades? NO. Belt grinder and a buffer. Why use oil or water when you can use Dry or diamond stones?
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Steel to stone with oil/water. Become one with the stone, Grasshopper. It's a Zen thing:) Like sanding fine wood or polishing fine leather by hand. Do knife makers power grind away because it is the BEST way to sharpen or because it is the FASTEST way? Time is money.
 
Ask Phill Hartsfield about sharpening or Tom Krein. Use your oil. To each their own. Thanks.
 
I asked fellow who made my CPM 10V knife. He recommended Norton Crystalon with Windex (actually he recommended store brand window cleaner) and keeping the stone well soaked with it.

A little less messy than oil and much less clutter in my one bedroom apartment than a BurrKing.
 
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