The chinese/woodcraft Black Waterstone...

[David Weaver]

.. has anyone ever put oil on theirs? It's the guanxi or whatever mine stone.

A long time ago, I got one for a "really good price", and I sent WC my thoughts on it and I wasn't really enthused at the time because of the cut speed.

I really was trying to find a cheap alternative to a stone finer than 8k, and after looking it over, I resigned it to kitchen duty as a finish stone for japanese knives.

Since then, I've found it to be a fantastic razor hone - really really good - and cut speed isn't a huge issue with razor hones

But I remember reading somewhere that was selling those stones (not woodcraft) that they could be used with water or oil. Never know what stone is what coming out of china, if they were selling the same thing.

I'm going to transition the razor to natural stones from japan (which I already have and sometimes struggle to justify having), so I have this black waterstone left over.

In my quest to try every method of sharpening, I pretty much haven't tried oilstones in earnest, and that's it, but I'm also not looking to buy a $200 translucent stone to give it a try.

Any clue what will happen to the waterstone if I use light mineral oil with it? I wouldn't dare do that to a man made waterstone, but anyone who has used one of the chinese stones knows its a bit of a different animal.

If I ruin it, I guess it isn't a big deal, but I don't like to waste things out of ignorance if it's not necessary. If I like the medium stones I have coming, I will probably keep them and then look for a good and old surgical black, but until then, I'd like to try something else. autosol on MDF is always in bounds since it wouldn't mind the mineral oil in small doses, but that's sort of cheating as it cuts differently and much faster and probably finer than a surgical black arkansas.

[george wilson]

Once you put oil on it,you are stuck with oil forever. Why should you risk it? I wouldn't do it.

[Casey Gooding]

I agree with George. Once you put oil on it, you can't go back.

[Richard Niemiec]

David: Keep your eyes open at flea markets and garage sales for oilstones; they can be had for a few dollars, flatten them up, and give them a try. I've found all kinds of arkansas stones, composition, etc. I have a set of oil and water stones, I sort of flip back and forth among them, both work.

[David Weaver]

Richard -

I agree, I used to see them when I was at flea markets all the time. Usually hollowed out and used by knife sharpeners, but I did see them a lot. Probably, though, if they were big they were carborundum, and the hard blacks were of the 6x2 variety, too small for what I want.

This area is funny for tools. You could go to a flea market and see precision measuring tools out the yingyang and not see any woodworking tool of any type. The best I've ever done at an actual flea market around here is a machinist vise, but I've literally not gotten one good woodworking tool, and what I've seen when I do see them is of the millers falls 900 variety for $40.

I guess I'm going to suck it up and buy a new one, which won't bother me as long as it's a good one.

George and Casey - exactly the reason for my asking. with oil on it, it's an oil stone. You never know what one (a natural stone) will do when you soak it or put a solvent on it, thus the asking. As slow as it cuts with water on it, though, it's probably not worth playing "cheap substitute" for a true good quality hard black arkansas.

[Terry Beadle]

I have one of the Chinese blacks but I only use water on it. I took the advertised 12,000 grit with a large grain of salt. After several hours of use I've found that using a nagura stone on it and less water, not dry, but just wet, it cuts very well. It's not 12,000 but it's as good as a 8000 King and harder than a King so it doesn't need as much flatting time.

Since it's so hard compared to the King, I use it with just spit at the bench for quick touch ups. I soak it from time to time but it likes a good spit and then go for it approach. Puts a new cutting edge on A2 for sure.

I'd not use oil. If I did, I'd use oil on one side just to see how it did and then use the other side for water only if the oil wasn't so good.

I just had a oily thought. How about beer? Now that's a test to try ! Hoot !