Thread: Can i use oil on a water stone?

Hi,

As the title "says":
Can i use oil on water stones for honing? (yes or no - explain please)
Can the oil use destroy the water stone? (yes or no - explain please)

I hope some here can help me with these questions.

Thanks in advance.

See you,
Flávio.

Coticules, Charnley, Arkansas are alright with water or with oil. Thuringans, Escher, Hohenzollern, are not to be used with oil. Depends on the composition of the stone. In general I think synthetic waterstones should not be used with oil.

I'm questioning this because in another forum I participate suddenly came this question and a member posted a video on YouTube from a Brazilian man talking about stones for honing and this man on YouTube video tell that every stone can be use with oil, vaseline or water. He says that it doesn't matter what kind stone we have, we decide if we will use water, oil or vaseline.

Is he right?

I think you can, with a rather important caveat that once you use some of these stones with oil (particularly certain natural porous stones) they basically become oilstones.. i.e. there's no going back to water, or it wouldn't be very easy, since the stone will soak up the oil and then it would be very hard to degrease it. I can only assume that it wouldn't hold water on the surface and so... you get the obvious problem with that. I never tried it myself with a porous waterstone. I did use both oil and water on my Yellow lake and that worked just fine, because the stone can be washed and doesn't soak up much of the oil (lapping takes care of the oily surface as well).

Now, why would you use oil on a synthetic stone anyway? Seems to me that it isn't beneficial and it would get messy for no good reason.

Originally Posted by cariocarj01

I'm questioning this because in another forum I participate suddenly came this question and a member posted a video on YouTube from a Brazilian man talking about stones for honing and this man on YouTube video tell that every stone can be use with oil, vaseline or water. He says that it doesn't matter what kind stone we have, we decide if we will use water, oil or vaseline.

Is he right?

I don't know to which stones he is referring. we read all sorts of statements on the Internet. I do know that all of the 'experts', all of the relevant literature on the topic, that I'm aware of say that you'll ruin many types of waterstones if you use oil. Vaseline is a petroleum based product, and IMHO too thick to be of use on a stone. They are called water stones for a reason. As are those known as oil stones. Below see instructions for the Chinese '12k', and for a yellow/green Escher ;

Are you talking about Natural Waterstones or Synthetic Waterstones?

I have used Smiths Honing Solution a water based lubricant on many Natural stone with good results and even some High Grit Water stones with mixed results. I do wash it off with Simple Green when finished honing

Oil is used on natural stones to provide a bit lubrication, suspend the swarf to keep the grit open and a bit of cushion between the stone and the razor, so just the tips of the grit are making contact for a finer finish. Stones that absorb liquids like synthetic water stones, would defeat the benefits of using oil.

I have also removed oil from many natural stone, by soaking with degreaser and heat, it is a pain in the butt and can take many months to completely remove all the oil and smell.

So could you use oil, maybe… but why would you want to, if there are other alternatives?

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I don't know to which stones he is referring... They are called water stones for a reason. As are those known as oil stones. Below see instructions for the Chinese '12k', and for a yellow/green Escher ;

Originally Posted by Euclid440

Are you talking about Natural Waterstones or Synthetic Waterstones?

The man on video says: any kind of stone can be used with oil, water or liquid vaselin.

Edit:
one thing i have to say: he is the only one on Internet who say that... I think.

Probably the same guy who hones on bricks, yea it can be done, but… YMMV…

Originally Posted by cariocarj01

The man on video says: any kind of stone can be used with oil, water or liquid vaselin.

Edit:
one thing i have to say: he is the only one on Internet who say that... I think.

I remember reading, back in the 1970s, that oil stones, such as Arkansas, India, what have you, lasted longer than the softer waterstones. The softer stones would wear more quickly. A book written in the 1800s that examined stones based on their geographical place of origin characterized the Belgian Coticule, which can be used with oil or water, as too soft for tools, chisels, plane blades, but ideal for razors.

So a guy could say, I sharpen my chisels on coticules all the time ........ you can do it. But why would you want to ? Sure, you can do it, but you'll just wear the stone out prematurely. If Escher says 'avoid contact with oil or grease' ...... I'm not going to test it to see if I could hone on it with oil without ruining the stone. Water is cheap. Stones are not. Anyway, whatever works. That is how we got the wheel, people trying different things.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Anyway, whatever works. That is how we got the wheel, people trying different things.

Butt i don't think that the man on video tryed oil use on his stones. He says he prefer water because is not messy and is cheaper.

Funny isn't it?