Quote Originally Posted by thp001 View Post
I mostly use Arkansas stones, I like using oil, I think it is less messy than water, especially compared to using synthetic waterstones. I think most people hate the feeling of oil on their fingers so it seems messier than water but it's really just the feeling. I use a dropper to dispense my oil. I use pure neatsfoot oil. You don't have to worry about water evaporating off of the stone in the summer (get's very hot here in MT). You don't have to worry whether a stray bit of water got into the pivot. Oil on Arkansas stones feels right. I've tried water, glycerin, soap and water, simple green, ballistol water emulsion, but oil just feels right and works well. The only stones I use with water are a small, narrow Thuringian and my coti if I'm needing slurry, but I do also use oil on the same coti if I use it to finish. I never bothered burnishing my stones although some people like to do that. The Hard stones I lapped up to 600 grit. The soft Arkansas and my Washita I lapped to 320 grit. You could lap them then just run a chisel back over them for 30 seconds with plenty of oil just to knock down any high points, doesn't take much. They stay flat a long time and give better results the more you use them.
Sometimes I hone a big cheap SS chef knife to smooth the surface of a freshly lapped arkie. Works fairly good. I will try lapping film on my granite surface plate one of these days.