Thread: Arkansas Stones - Oil or water?

Oil or something water-based that's a good approximation of it (like ballistol).

In general, for fast cutting, a water displacer can be OK (WD 40, etc), or even good for the mid stones. The coarse stones keep their pores clear best with a light oil (like light mineral oil), and the fine stones work finest with a light oil (though a good stone with WD40 will also make a superb edge off of a good truly hard stone).

Plugging is the opposite - it occurs with drying oils. You want a non-drying oil like mineral oil, unused synthetic motor oil (i realize there will be aversion to that, but there is nothing toxic about unused synthetic oil - used is carcinogenic, though), light machine oils. There is no reason for a stinky oil, either, so no need to use 3 in 1 or even dan's honing oil (I don't have a clue why their oil stinks). Kitchen machine lubricant and cleaner (light mineral oil) is excellent.

Unscented baby oil is a bit heavier than light mineral oil, but you can use that, too.

You will see folks advocating water or soapy water from time to time, but the stones don't work as well with that, and use of it instead of a light oil is an issue of lack of analysis. If soapy water would've been better, people living hand to mouth 150 years ago wouldn't have used oil on these stones like they did.