If you had $150 to spend on sharpening stones - how would you spend it?

[Nick Sorenson]

I'm not experienced with sharpening stones other than the cheap HF stone I bought to sharpen knives a while back. It about turned me off to sharpening forever! Until I recently got into hand tools. I have been using scary sharp. And it works. But I'd like to get some stones to make life a little easier. What should I buy (water or oil)? I have around $150 to put into stones and I want to make the best move. Seems like Halls Arkansas stones are well respected as are Norton for water stones. But I don't want to buy a name, I want to pay for results. Any tips would be very appreciated!

[Brian Kent]

Do you have a grinder for the basic angle?

[Maurice Ungaro]

Good quality india and Arkansas stones.

[Jim Belair]

Well assuming your answer to Brian's question (or a belt sander works too) is yes, I recommend two stones- Norton 1000 and combo 4000/8000. Works for me.

[Jeff L Miller]

Tough one, its kind of like the old Ford or Chevy thing; there are advocates for both.

Around Portland, I frequently see sharpening stones on CL advertised for cheap, thats one option.

If I were to buy new, I would purchase a set of Norton water stones, 1000 up to 8000 and you should be fine. I think the Norton's come in two grits per stone, one on each side. I would also get a flatening stone.

Common literature on sharpening says to pick a system, one you will use, and stick with it. Sharp is sharp and you just need to learn how to get there.

Scary sharp has a ton of followers and can produce a fine edge, but I like water stones because thats what I learned on. I'm also a bottom feeder and like garage sales for chisels and such. I'm always seeing various stones, sandpaper, and even granite plates for little or no money. I would go that route if it were me and spend the $150 on some planes and chisels to sharpen. I also just purchased a used tri-hone oil sharpening system for quick edge touch up while working around the bench....so I guess I use both systems.

Jeff

[Nick Sorenson]

Well assuming your answer to Brian's question (or a belt sander works too) is yes, I recommend two stones- Norton 1000 and combo 4000/8000. Works for me.


I just bought the HF wet and dry grinder and am going to try to do at least some of what is shown here:
http://www.davidreedsmith.com/Articles/lanham/RayLanham.htm

[David Weaver]

I would get a shapton pro 1000 stone (and glue it to a nice piece of wood), one of these 160675941628 (ebay number) and find the cheapest 6x2 inch 325 grit DMT on amazon to keep them flat and dressed clean.

oh yeah, and a couple of sq feet of either horse butt (hard) or cowhide (soft) leather off of ebay in 8-9 ounce weight. Should be about $25 or maybe $5 more for 2 square feet, and you can decide how to use it as you go along. A bench strop of leather glued onto some scrap wood about 16 inches long and 2 1/2 wide is nice to have.

[george wilson]

A black and a white Spyderco ceramic stone set. That's what I have used for about 25 years,after trying out MANY,MANY other stones. I start with a diamond bench stone to quickly remove any little nicks,or grossly dulled edges. A belt grinder if needed to begin with.

A spritz of water with a tiny bit of detergent for lube. The stones never,ever get worn. I strop when done with the stones,but keep it to a minimum.

[Dale Cruea]

I just asked about the same question last month.
Got lots of good answers just like you are getting. All of them good and will work great.
I ended up with 3 Shapton glass stones and a DM lapping plate. A 500, 1000 and a 4000. (A little over your $150.00).
They work well. Cut fast and clean. I use a King 8000 grit polishing stone.
If I ever do this again I think I will try the oil stone route.
Water stones appear to wear fast but cut fast.
I started out on oil stones but at the time I did not know how to flatten them so I changed to water stones. Had trouble getting them flat then changed to Diamond now back to water stones.
I have come to realize that sharp is sharp no matter how you get there.
If you like something use it.
All sharpening systems have draw backs and all sharpening systems have advantages.
I do believe that if you sharpen your own tools in the end you will end up with lots of different stones before you settle on exactly what it is you like.
The same with honing guides. I am beginning to think sharpening is the most expensive part of wood working.

[David Weaver]

The glasstones wear fast for a ceramic stone in the low grit ranges. If you wear out your 1000 stone, which is easy to do, I would replace it with a 1000 professional stone instead. They wear slower than the glasstones and are 3x as thick. You can get them glazed a bit if you let them dry some, but that's easily fixed just by scuffing them with the diamond plate.

I also have one of the 1000 glasstones. I still have it, but I don't like how fast it wears, especially when considered relative to both its price and the lack of sharpening media.

You're right about the sharp is sharp no matter the route. The ceramics/waterstones let you be less critical about what steel you're using, though, and still get an easy very keen edge.

[Chris Griggs]

Well assuming your answer to Brian's question (or a belt sander works too) is yes, I recommend two stones- Norton 1000 and combo 4000/8000. Works for me.

The 4k/8k are pretty good. Don't bother with the Norton 1k - its a good stone but there are superior 1k stones out there for the same price or maybe $10 more. If your going to go this route (as opposed to india/arks or a full set of ceramics) skip the Norton 1k and get a Shapton Pro, Bester, or Sigma Power instead for your 1k.

[Shaun Mahood]

Nick, I went with the spyderco stones based on George's recommendation and have absolutely loved the improvement over scary sharp. I don't have a grinder and have been using a diamond stone as well for grinding (better than sandpaper, probably not as good as a grinder).

[Harlan Barnhart]

If you're going with water stones, spend extra on the 1,000, you'll spend most of your time there. Get something that cuts fast.

[Russell Sansom]

I would go with the 3 shaptons. 1000k 4 or 5 k and 8k. As David and others have said, the below 1000 wear awfully fast. So this setup has two holes: The job that requires a coarse diamond ( rehabbing ) and some kind of grinder for putting on new edges. A LARGE hand wheel works well.

[Matt Sullenbrand]

My work is 100% done with handplanes (like most folks here:)) and I have been very happy with the two part oil stone set from TFWW: http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com//Merchant/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=toolshop&Product_Code=NO-WIDEOIL.XX&Category_Code=THO. They are a good price at $92.95, they stay flat a good long time, have good width for wide irons, etc. I have had good success sharpening both O1 and A2 with them. Plus, my shop is unheated and I don't have to worry about the cold Iowa winters damaging them. Their main drawback that I have seen is that their cases are crap (sorry Joel). I need to make new ones sometime. If you went this route I would also get a horse butt strop and some rouge to put a final polish on the steel. This setup will probably last you a lifetime whereas, as I understand, the waterstones will not. You might also want to look at this post on freehand sharpening: http://antiquetools.com/sharp/. I learned to sharpen pretty much solely from this article and have found it to be very fast and consistent enough to get the results I want in woodworking. Good luck!

[Joe Leigh]

I have wasted a lot of time and money in this area but I think I now have a system that makes sense....but it wasn't cheap.
Two Shaptons ceramic waterstones, 1000 and 8000. I like these because they don't need to be soaked like some waterstones, just a spritz from a spray bottle and away you go. In addition I got a 4 x 10" Duosharp DMT plate, course and extra course, to flatten the waterstones and to change bevel angles quickly. Total cost approx $280.00. Takes care of all my plane iron and chisel needs.

[Jerome Hanby]

Realised the response I was about to post wasn't very Neanderthal,so .....

[Archie England]

Like so many-and you now-I've tried numerous sharpening systems, and still use three of them: dry grinder + wet grinder; Ark oil stones; and water stones. Until I learned how to freehand w/o jigs, the grinders alone offered consistent, repeatable results. Since then, the ceramic waterstones have emerged as the fastest, sharpest, and most enjoyable system.....for me!!!!! I've given my 4 stone Norton set to a friend. I now prefer the newer generation of ceramics, especially the Sigma power hard ceramic stones. The Sigma 1000 (IMO) cuts about 4xfaster than theNorton 1k and close to 10x faster than my Ark soft. It also chews through newer O1, A2, and other exotic metals, at much faster speeds with much better results. Sigma power 1000 hard is a true standard setter: it does so much so well so quickly that it's just a better value for my plane and chisel sharpening! I really like the Chosera 1000, too! It's harder and much more dish resistant; but it's messier to use, has a definite learning curve, and doesn't prep a blade for a 6000 stone nearly as well as the Sigma, and Choseras are pricey. The Bester 1200 and Arashiyama 1000 are really good, too. But the price-to-value causes the better performance of the Sigma 1000 to beat out these. I've finally settled on using a transitional stone before going to my Sigma 6000, and finishing with my Sigma 13000. Though the Sigma 1, 6, 13k set is twice your limit, I believe these three to be the ultimate system. However, practice beats theory, so I typically stop at 6000 and a dry leather strop. The cutting edge sheares SYP end-grain. Yes, the 13000 edge is smoother and encounters less resistance, but going 1000 to 6000 can be super fast! The transition stones I've used make the 6000 even better. I've worked with a Gesshin 4000 and a Chosera 4000. Wow, they are both phenomenal (+expensive) but boy do they perform magic on a blade. The Gesshin actually does equal and exceed the Chosera 3000 but the difference, though impressive, is not that great. I could easily stop at this transitional step, but the Sigma power 6000 is so fantastic, I always go to it.BTW, you'll eventually have to have sharpening mediums to prep a blade for the 1000 stone. Nicks and chips don't magically disappear simply because you use waterstones. Beware of soft stones at these grits below 1000. When you're ready for suggestions, we'll be ready to help you spend, er..., invest in better stuff!!!! Best wishes for finding what works for you.

[Joel Goodman]

I finally settled on a coarse dmt for dressing stones (and the occasional nick) and 1200 dmt for 1st step sharpening and a 10000 Sigma (the one LV sells) for polish. Seems to be fast and consistent. I use a honing guide and micro bevel. But I've got a few Norton waterstones and the 8000 also gives a fine edge and is cheaper. Not a fan of combo waterstones due to cross contamination issues. Also have the 3000 Sigma (and a Norton 1K 4K combo) and I'm on the fence as to whether it's needed. The 1000 waterstones seem to need a lot of flattening hence the DMT for that grit. For guides the cheap elipse works fine (LN et al sell them) but I do like the LV fancy one. If you go with the elipse type look at the Lie Nielsen web site for info on making a setting board to get repeatable angles. There are a lot of good ways to go!

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

While we're talking sharpening stones, does anyone have an opinion on the Naniwa "Superstones"? I bought the set of three (1000,5000,8000) at Tools For Working Wood a while back, because it was the cheapest option at the time, and I was so sick of sandpaper. I've liked them a lot, but really, it's the only sharpening stone experience I have beyond sandpaper, I have no idea what half the terms people discuss mean when they get into in depth discussion of stones, or what I'd get different from other stones. . .

[Tony Shea]

Hey Joshua,

That is the exact directiion I originally went when starting the slope down the hand tool world, Naniwa SS's. They aren't too bad of a stone and will get you to where you need to go as far as sharp. In fact, I still use mine once and a while and find the 8000 grit stone to really polish my edges. They're downsides are prevelant though. They all clog quickly, therefore cut slowly and start polishing the edge before you want to. The 5000 stone is probably the worst at this and begins polishing after just a few strokes. The 1000 stone is very soft and just isn't a flat stone due to this, similar to the Norton and King 1000's in terms of soft. This stones does produce the best feel though and isn't all that bad to use as long as you are over concerned about flattening it. But the stones do work and are a great option to start with. I would rather have these than Kings or Nortons as the spray and go method of stones is very convienant. A very good option for someone on a budget as long as a method for flattening these is thought of, preferably a dmt or similar diamond stone.

[David Weaver]

.. or what I'd get different from other stones. . .

Experimentation and playing around is about it. The superstones have a nice feel and leave a good polish, and are very well thought of in the razor community because they don't leave a harsh edge. There's nothing in the world of woodworking that you can't do quite well with the stones you have.

[Dale Cruea]

Just setting here drinking coffee and reading posts.
I think sharpening is getting about a confusing and difficult as dust collection.
I remember back about 20 years ago that I could not sharpen my pocket knife.
I knew a fella a work that once worked for a butcher.
I would give him my knife and buy him a coffee.
By the time he had finished his coffee my knife was done.
Two stones and some oil.
The knife would shave your arm.
10 minutes max. Most of the time was spent cleaning up the mess I had made of the blade.
Today we spend several hundred dollars to get the same edge.
I understand our edges need to be flat. Where are we going wrong?????
I guess I just don't get it.
I am very much a part of it all, but I still don't get it. :confused:

[Jim Koepke]

Nick,

Your profile does not show your location. You may live close to another member who will let you test drive their set up(s).

You will likely find once your tools are in good shape you will only need one or two grits to keep them sharp.

Everyone has variables in their shop that make it difficult for others to be able to say what will work best.

My shop is not heated so it is getting to be the time of year where I will be using oil stones for a few months due to the cold temps.

One suggestion with water stones is to not bother with grits below 1000. When there is a nick or other problem that requires a coarser grit, my preference is to use sand paper as in "scary sharp". The low grit water stones wear too fast in my experience to be of value.

I have been in the process of buying stones for a few years now. Finding bargains on used stones is like Christmas to me.

If nothing else, odd stones can be turned into specialty stones for sharpening specific gouges and shaped blades.

I also have items other than woodworking tools that need honing at times.

At one time, I had difficulty getting a sharp edge on any medium. Now my sharpening includes multiple media.

Most of the time, even with all of their need for care, I prefer water stones.

That of course does not make them the best choice for you.

Water stones can be messy. My shop has a small bench where all the water sharpening equipment is set up permanently. My oil stones are on a different bench and a lot of them are kept out of the way in a drawer.

I have some double sided stones, but prefer single grit stones. This gives two sides to work before having to flatten the stone.

jtk

[Nick Sorenson]

I should add my current equipment.
To be sharpened: mostly plane irons, scrapers, spokeshaves, and knives in that order.
What I currently use: Granite tile and sandpaper (scary sharp)
Other things owned that could be helpful: HF Wet Dry grinder, DiaSharp 1200 Stone, 4 sided HF diamond hone block

[Jim Belair]

I have to agree, while I use a Norton 1000, I don't like the fact that it wears fairly quickly. When it is spent, I'll look for an alternate (one of the "new" waterstones or a diamond plate), so I really appreciate this thread!

JimB

[Joe A Faulkner]

The Norton starter set that PeachTree carries fits your requirements and since the combo stones are 3" wide - they support sharpening large plane irons. You get a 220/1000 and 4000/8000 stone, plus a tray with a skid resistent mat. Throw in a prep stone and you are at $155 plus shipping.

[Stuart Tierney]

Just setting here drinking coffee and reading posts.
I think sharpening is getting about a confusing and difficult as dust collection.

<trimmed for brevity>

I guess I just don't get it.
I am very much a part of it all, but I still don't get it. :confused:

Hi Dale,

It doesn't need to be confusing. But it can be and usually is mostly because I think many folks want to have their own beliefs reinforced by others.

It works like this;

A has 123 widget. B has 987 widget. C asks "which widget should I get?"

A suggests their widget, because it works really well for them and that's it.

B suggests an alternative widget, again because it works really well for them.

D suggests getting an older widget, because it works well enough and plenty of folks before us thought they worked well too.

E suggests making one's own widget, because there's no justification for spending all that money on something you don't need.

F has both new widgets and an old one, thinks they're all pretty good and adds their thoughts.

G says 123 widget has a fatal flaw, so 987 widget is the only choice.

H counterpoints G with a valid retort.

H and G duke it out.

I, J, K, L, M and N jump in on H and G's little battle.

Moderator tells them all to cool it, or else!

O takes some little nugget of data on the widgets as a whole, and puts that forth as a suggestion to find another way.

I, J and K jump on O, tell them they're a fool (in a really nice way). L, M and N agree with O, and have another small war.

Moderator once again threatens action. Makes it stick with a time out on M and banning I.

P is a lurker, has a similar question and asks about some details.

Q uses ABC every day, and it makes money for them, case closed, Q is right!

R? He's Q's kryptonite. But Q and R have been around the block a few times, secretly think the other is a fool, but keep it to themselves.

S sells 123, pushes the heck out of it. Gets a warning from the moderator.

T sells 987, learns from S and makes suggestions without pushing it far enough to warrant undue attention. Makes a good case.

U sells both, plus widget 456 and **!, says all are decent and find favour with different people which is why there are many widgets to choose from.

V tells U they must have something to make off this, makes a case for anything U says to be treated with extreme suspicion.

W ask what the original question was, gets ignored.

X wonders why all the unhappiness. Makes suggestions for finding 123 and 987 at a cheaper price.

Y, why can't we all agree to disagree?

G, H, I, J, K, M (off suspension), N and O argue about why it's all so confusing, go too far and the thread gets locked.

Z? They had the perfect answer, which would have told C that they should choose Widget 987 for the best results for what they had planned. But thread is locked, so the answer is never seen.

C buys 123 widget, finds it works well enough and jumps on A's bandwagon, never knowing that 987 would have been better for them.

Oh well.

And this keeps coming up time after time after time. It's the same story again and again, and it'll never change. It doesn't matter what the widget actually is, it's most often a case of whoever has 123 or 987 wanting someone else to get the same widget and tell the world how great it is. It doesn't matter if there is some Achilles heel to the widget, so long as someone else backs up their beliefs, that's all that matters.

Doesn't even matter is most folks who champion their widget have some critical part of it completely wrong, hey, it works so it's great!

And I wonder why I tend to stay right the heck away from forums... :rolleyes:

Actually, it's more a case of I don't have the time or temperament to deal with it much any more. Got a lot of things to do, less time to do them every day and most of what I do is highly controversial around here.

(I sell sharpening gear and Japanese tools! Am I nut or what?)

And because of that last little statement, I tend to keep quiet as well. Don't want to end up like Mr. U up there...

Stu.

(Who's just got a box full of kryptonite. With a pink label on it, bright ^%^%$ pink. Blech. I think the pink must calm it down until it's time for work...)

[Mike Holbrook]

I like the Sigma stones too. I dropped a Shapton Pro, not far and it was in its plastic box, it broke into pieces. The Sigma stones are thicker, tougher and cut all steels, especially the new tougher steels, much faster.I like the Sigma 700 vs a 1000 stone. It is much thicker and cuts even better, more like its brothers in the Select II line of stones. The Select II stones are built to cut the real tough steels but cut the normal steels even faster that the regular Power Stones. The Select II stones work more like the older Japanese water stones that I was use to. I have: Sigma power ceramic stone, 3F Carbon #700,Sigma Power 'Select II' ceramic stone, #3,000 grit (http://www.toolsfromjapan.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=335_404_513&products_id=1485), Sigma Power 'Select II' ceramic stone, #6,000 grit (http://www.toolsfromjapan.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=335_404_513&products_id=1486) and a Select II #10,000 grit as well. The first three will handle most things.

[Dale Cruea]

Stuart, I like your answer and I agree.
I disagree with some of it. I think most people get along well here. I quit the last forum for the reasons you state.
I would make a statement and get ripped.
I am still trying to figure our why I spend so much money on something that used to be so simple.
I think the problem is mine and not the people answering.
I like most folks here and have learned a great deal from them in the very short time I have been here.
I think I will stay.
Discussions and disagreements are what you get when someone asks a question or makes a statement.
I can deal with that. :D

[Chris Griggs]

You're hilarious Stu! (or should I say Mr. U). So what's you're suggestion for this fellow? My suggestion is for him to email you, and buy what you suggest, which is what I (Mr. F) did, and therefore is what everyone else should do as well ;).

BTW Nick, a very similar question was asked on another forum this past week - here is my somewhat long winded, unqualified, and slighlty edited reponse...

" I started with the Norton 1k/8k combo stone, then got some Arks, and now mainly use some Sigma Power ceramic waterstones and here's what I can tell you.

Arkansas/Oil Stones are wonderful - they are definitely the lowest maintenance system I've used, generally they are very nice to use, relatively inexpensive, and if you follow with a strop get you a nice edge. The downside is that they are slow, but there is a way to improve this. Either use a Med/Fine india for your coarse stone instead of a soft Ark, or if using a soft ark scuff/dress it with a diamond hone before each use to "refresh" the surface and it will cut MUCH faster. I have a soft ark and surgical black from Halls Proedge, which are great, and I use often, but I think the best bang for buck out there for oil stones is the from Tools for Working Wood which includes a Med India and a hard/trans ark.

For Nortons don't bother with that starter set, the flattening stone and the 220 are fairly useless. The 1k is a pretty good stone, but there are better for the money, and in my opinion the 4k and 8k are pretty nice stones. If you're going to go the norton route my advice would be to order a 4k/8k combo stone (about $80) and then buy some type of ceramic 1k (Imanishi Bester, Shapton, Sigma or other) instead of the norton 1k. A cermamic 1k will run you about another $45-$60. For about the same price as the $130 norton set (or maybe $10-$20 more) you will have something much better in my opinion - folks tend to focus on high grit stones, but a good 1k stone is VERY important. Another thing to consider if money is a concern is to get just a 1k and an 8k in either nortons or, even better, in modern ceramic stones. I used a Norton 1k/8k combo stone alone for 2-3 years and while it left somethings to be desired it got the job done. In either case you can always fill in with coarser stones and in between stones as you need to later on. If money's no object (yeah right) and you are inclined to go with water stones get a full set of modern ceramic waterstones, once again shapton, sigma, or imanishi-bester all have advantages over Nortons. Nortons or Kings will get you there and can be very nice to use, but the modern ceramic really are much nicer to use and easier to maintain .

BTW for flattening oil or water stones, I recommend getting a coarse diamond stone.

So my final ranking

1. Full set of ceramic Water stones Or Norton 4k/8k with a modern ceramic 1k Or just 1K and 8k (or 10k or higher) pair of modern ceramics (also a diamond stone for flattening). They are just that good, REALLY, but not cheap

2. Oil stones - Med India/Hard Trans from TFWW plus strop/honing compound. This is a VERY close 2nd for me, and given space, money, and whether or not one is willing to invest in a diamond stone for flattening, oil stones could easily be a first choice. I still regularly use my oil stones even though I have a full set of ceramic water stones.

3. Full set of Nortons or the 1k/8k Norton combo stone - Good, but in my book, not enough faster/better then oil stones to warrant the extra maintenance. Don't bother - there are better options out there for the money. Check out ChefKnivestoGo.com and/or Toolsfromjapan.com - lots of very good waterstones for good prices.

BTW I have this set (http://www.toolsfromjapan.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=335_404_403&products_id=1668)that I got from Stu at Tools from Japan. I also have the Sigma 10k but the 1k/6k/diamond flattening stone in the set are all that you need. The 6k cuts faster and gets things sharper than a Norton 8k, and if you want to take it up a notch you can always strop with compound."

[Nick Sorenson]

I forgot to add, I have lots of buffing and polishing equipment. Instead of a leather strope, would it be wise to try to use a wool or foam polishing pad as the final step or would that round things over?

[Joe Leigh]

Well there are a lot of words so far....to simplify, you need a stone to create the edge (typically 1000 or so) a stone to polish the edge (8000 or so) and a device to keep the stones flat.

[David Weaver]

I forgot to add, I have lots of buffing and polishing equipment. Instead of a leather strope, would it be wise to try to use a wool or foam polishing pad as the final step or would that round things over?

You want something hard to strop with if it's going to be powered, or you'll just end up with shiny rounded edges that are pretty hard to push through wood because they're blunt.

A bare strop (not powered, no stuff on it) can be softer if you want.

I wouldn't want to use anything softer than a hard felt wheel, and even that I'm not so fond of, a hard leather wheel is nicer.

[george wilson]

Personally,I NEVER use a powered strop. I find that they invariably dull my edges. I hand strop only. Too much stropping messes up the edge.

[David Weaver]

I think they're nice for carving tools, but I don't like them for chisels and planes, either. The edge geometry is alwasy lost just enough to lose some of the keen feeling you get with a fresh straight edge.

[Nick Sorenson]

Well I ended up buying a Soft, a Black, and a Translucent Arkansas stone all seconds from Halls.

Hopefully that was a good move. The soft seconds and black are really about as cheap as dirt in terms of sharpening stones.


The person I spoke with at Hall's Ark Stones said that they will stay flat nearly indefinitely. Not sure if that's true or not but that's what he said. He said if it ever went out of flat, they'd warantee it.

I've never used oil stones so I don't know what to expect. But it seemed to be a cheap in on stones for now.

[Chris Griggs]

Excellent choice Nick! Those will be great stones. I have the black and the soft from halls - one thing to note though

While they come flattish they don't come particularly flat by woodworking standards (mine didn't anyway). You can flatten them on a sanding belt and granite, but it if you have any cash left over it would be worth it to invest in a diamond stone. This will be handy for the occasions when flattening is required, but its main use will become to dress the soft ark. Oil stones tend to smooth out and lose their bite over time, since they are not friable. This is often desirable with the fine stones (black and trans), but with the soft ark you want some speed and without dressing it will quickly start to slow down in its cutting speed - quickly scuffing up the surface before each use will keep in cutting fast, and will stop it from going out of flat. Once again a, zirconium sanding belt stuck to a flat surface will work too - but in my experience oil stones eat regular sandpaper for breakfast.

Not trying to rip on Halls stones - great product and great people to deal with - you made a good choice.

[Dale Cruea]

Question here about oil stones.
I have read and heard the if an oil stone have never been used with oil it is OK to use water.
Does this work?
I have heard the same thing about Kerosene.

[Chris Griggs]

Question here about oil stones.
I have read and heard the if an oil stone have never been used with oil it is OK to use water.
Does this work?
I have heard the same thing about Kerosene.

You can use them with water regardless - soapy water preferably. I think you can use just about anything that will float the metal particles out of the stone. I prefer oil though because its slicker, but will often splash some soapy water on them before wiping them down to put them away.

(someone please correct me if I am mistaking about this)