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  1. #1
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    Default Do you know what this stone is?

    I have a hard natural stone that is sand coloured. It is an oil stone but after lapping, which was hard work and slow, I bought it done flat. It cuts with a good feel with water giving a fine finish, not the finest I have seen though. The darker bit in the middle is where the stone is flat but the used surface has not been fully removed to any depth.
    Name:  unknown-and-sythe-stone.jpg
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    The stone underneath is a scythe stone an a natural one at that. I thought it was some kind of emery or man made because it glittered, but is obviously a natural, because of the banding.

    This is a usb microscope picture of the sand coloured stoneName:  unknown-used-side.jpg
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Size:  31.9 KB top is the lapped surface. The one underneath before lappingName:  unknown-flattened-side.jpg
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  2. #2
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    I have just bought another stone very similar to this one, just a bit darker in colour. Anyway these stones look very like the couple of Washita No 1`s I have. Not the colour but the make up of the stone, when looked at under a loupe. Again a bit like my black Arkansas. The Pike Washita`s are translucent with banding in them. I assume the Arkansas stones do come in all sorts of colours and patterns
    So is it a Arkansas, it is not a finisher as it leaves a matt surface, it cuts well.

  3. #3
    Chat room is open Piet's Avatar
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    The sand coloured stone looks and sounds like it could be an Arkansas but I haven't seen enough to know for sure.

    I have a dark blue stone with similar banding albeit with less contrast from Germany but it doesn't have any glittering. I haven't seen one quite like that before afaik. Is it for sharpening or more for finishing?

  4. #4
    aka shooter74743 ScottGoodman's Avatar
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    Are you sure it's a natural? I ask this because I have a Norton Oilstone that physically looks like yours, 8x2x1. Mine is of a lower grit & honestly have not used it. I picked it up for knives.
    Southeastern Oklahoma/Northeastern Texas helper. Please don't hesitate to contact me.
    Thank you and God Bless, Scott

  5. #5
    Senior Member Kingfish's Avatar
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    I am almost positive that the first is a Arkansas Oil stone. It looks like a Washita or the coarser variety, which by there nature, is not as coarse and aggresive as other synthetic coarse stones.

  6. #6
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    I had a good look at my man made oil stones today under the loupe, and none of them look like this stone. Saying that I do not have that many man made oil stones. I would say that it is a natural. It looks very similar to the Washitas I have under the loupe, what made me question the stone is the colour. It smelled like natural stone when flattened on a belt sander. I just do not have a very wide experience with Arkansas stones which seem to come in a very wide range of appearance.

    Piet, the other stone is a scythe stone and these were quarried or mined in many many areas worldwide and were used in huge numbers. I would say it is about 1000 grit, ish.

  7. #7
    Modine MODINE's Avatar
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    Hello woodwrightman;
    I think you have a soft Arkansas with the first one. Attached pics of a couple of mine. The top one is a soft Arkansas the bottom one is considered a fine "surgical" Arkansas stone. Both are hard novaculite oil stones. I use mine on knives, not razors.
    Mike
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