Lily White Washitas are good stuff for sure. I've got a couple, and they can be slightly translucent, but nothing like a regular translucent Arkansas finishing stone - they will mostly just transmit a little bit of light near the edges if they do at all. One of mine does, the other doesn't (both are labeled stones). I think Ouachita is the French or Indian spelling. They will finish a straight with an okay edge after they are worn in and smoothed quite a bit and especially if you do the last bit edge trailing.