Arkansas stones: you will be a natural at using them!

Grain size

Arkansas sharpening stones do not have a standard grain size. The sharpening stones have a 'grain size' that depends on the density of the stone. The denser the stone, the finer the results. It is therefore difficult to add a specific grain size to the Arkansas sharpening stones. Another important part of a natural sharpening stone is that the slurry that emerges as you sharpen your knife becomes finer and finer. As such the sharpening results of, for instance, a grain 1000 Arkansas sharpening stone, are often better than the results of a synthetic grain 1000 Japanese sharpening stone. That is why you should always take the grain sizes listed below with a grain of salt.

The Soft Arkansas sharpening stone corresponds with a grain 1200 Japanese sharpening stone. The Hard Arkansas corresponds with a grain 2000 sharpening stone. Hard Black Arkansas with grain 4000. Surgical Black Arkansas with grain 6000. And Translucent Arkansas with grain 10.000.

Use

We recommend always using sharpening oil when using an Arkansas sharpening stone. It will simply leave you with the best results. Water is also an option. Experience, however, taught us that the results are not as good and it is more difficult to create a slurry. Especially if you have been using oil in the past.

These sharpening stones are natural products. Each stone contains its own natural discolourations. These discolourations do not affect the sharpening results! Do keep in mind, however, that the stone you receive can therefore differ in terms of colour from the one you saw on the website.