Quote Originally Posted by stonehenge View Post
I'm the guy that thinks the new arkansas stones with the exception of some of the translucents, are terrible quality compared to the old stones. If you ever get a chance to experience an old Pike or Norton compared to the new generic stones, the difference becomes obvious right away.
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.