That is interesting, thanks Lynn! I've always had a fondness for Arkansas stones partly because of their many variations, partly because of their interesting history, and partly because they're from 'murica. I like to think that the westerners can compete in the whetstone biz, too. This is the finest one I've held in the sense that no crystalline structure is visible and it is the least porous of all the Arkansas stones I've seen up close. I wish I had the wherewithal to determine its specific gravity.