I have 6 black Arkansas stones. The new ones you get from Natural whetstones are only lightly polished. I have the 10 x 3. I rubbed it with a small black Arkansas stone to "glaze" or polish the stone. After many hours the stone is now getting a "shine" to it. I have an old blue/black Arky that I bought back in 1971 that was highly polished when I bought it. I flattened it one time and have used it on knives and razors with good results. Again, the new stones are rough.