That's not how it's supposed to work- strange sharpening stone ???

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Thanks to the RH Preyda thread, I'm now back to being a stoner- sharpening stones, that is. Browsing their site, I came across this silly idea- hard and soft stones glued together in stripes- so it's not one side hard, one side soft- it's one side is striped with both hard and soft. This makes no sense. The soft will wear faster than the hard, so it's going to divot between the hard stones. Also, you're not finishing with the hard- you're using both. Why is this a thing?

https://rhpreyda.com/product/vulcan-multi-cut-7-layer/

[Philipp Jaindl]

Now that looks like a novelty item made for no other reason then just because they can, especially at a 380 $ pricepoint that google threw out. That layout seems perfect for getting the layers contaminating each other and wearing unevenly.

[Ryan Mooney]

Makes you wonder about everything else...

Some of their file sets look interesting, but I can't tell what kind of stone any of them are from the drop downs.

Also what the heck is this?
https://rhpreyda.com/product/deburring-stone-arkansas-black/

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Makes you wonder about everything else...

Some of their file sets look interesting, but I can't tell what kind of stone any of them are from the drop downs.

Also what the heck is this?
https://rhpreyda.com/product/deburring-stone-arkansas-black/


I saw that. I sharpen knives for restaurants, and I've never heard of one. I assume this is akin to a honing steel in function, but it makes little sense if you hone to a finer grit than this. A honing steel doesn't use grit- it uses the striations in the steel.

[John C Cox]

The first rule of fishing lures is that you must catch a fisherman long before the fish... ;) ;)

I am completely mystified that their Arkansas water stones aren't on their website... Yet these other weird products are..

[Ryan Mooney]

I saw that. I sharpen knives for restaurants, and I've never heard of one. I assume this is akin to a honing steel in function, but it makes little sense if you hone to a finer grit than this. A honing steel doesn't use grit- it uses the striations in the steel.

It claims that they are made from hard or black Arkansas stones.. so why this is in any way different than one of those... is a mystery.

Side note: I figured out how to tell which sku's are which, the product pages have a "Sizes" box and if you click that it gives the sku to stone type and dimensions list.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

It claims that they are made from hard or black Arkansas stones.. so why this is in any way different than one of those... is a mystery.

Side note: I figured out how to tell which sku's are which, the product pages have a "Sizes" box and if you click that it gives the sku to stone type and dimensions list.

Their marketing is a little gimmicky. I mentioned on the other thread about their statement that their stones are "...the only known substance that can sharpen a blade and polish it as well." Ummm... okay, if you say so. The funny thing is I'm ready to drop some $$$ on a stone, and what's turning me off on these guys is their gimmicky stuff. I really love that they offer large (12"x3") versions of their hard Arkansas stones, but all this other gimmicky stuff makes me wonder if I should go with them, or go with Dan's or another supplier.

[Patrick Chase]

Their marketing is a little gimmicky. I mentioned on the other thread about their statement that their stones are "...the only known substance that can sharpen a blade and polish it as well." Ummm... okay, if you say so. The funny thing is I'm ready to drop some $$$ on a stone, and what's turning me off on these guys is their gimmicky stuff. I really love that they offer large (12"x3") versions of their hard Arkansas stones, but all this other gimmicky stuff makes me wonder if I should go with them, or go with Dan's or another supplier.

For a natural stone of any sort I'd go with a proven mine, and that means Norton or Dan's for Arks. It's impossible to know what Preyda are selling, and their marketing is insanely scammy.

[Ryan Mooney]

I recently picked up a really good deal on a translucent Dan's (8x2x1/2) from Sierra Trading Post (unfortunately they appear to be out of the translucent..) and it was imho a bit better than my Halls ProEdge Surgical black (12x3x1 - yes it was seriously on sale.. hah). I believe most of the difference is in the treatment and finish, the pro-edge wasn't as perfectly flat, there was still some residual evidence from cutting it and the stone seemed more closed so didn't cut as fast (and the edge wasn't as quite as consistent). I bought another of the Halls for my dad at the time because it was such a great price and the finish was comparable between both of them. I haven't used the Dan's enough to really see how it works in, and the Halls has seen a fair bit of use so that affected my impression as well. I suspect if I spent a bit more time with the Halls and a diamond plate I'd like it better...

The translucent is, of course, much prettier looking :)

If you wanted to round out your stone collection in another direction the Translucent slips from TFWW are really lovely. The box is kind of meh, but the stones are superb. They look a lot like the flat Dan's stone, and the box is similar making me think perhaps that's the source.
https://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/store/dept/THO/item/MS-CTS.XX

I think the Dan's I got is the same one they're selling at TFWW, but I paid under $60 including shipping so was pretty stoked about that.
https://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/store/dept/THO/item/MS-TAST100

Speaking of Halls... The mystery deepens.. I can't believe two companies would be coming out with this idea.. well ok I can.. but they look awfully similar.
https://www.knifecenter.com/item/HS30326/hall-sharpening-stones-30326-soft-dunston-black-arkansas-8-inch-vulcan-stone-in-wooden-box
Mmmm hmmm..
and answered
https://www.linkedin.com/company/hall-sharpening-stones-a-rh-preyda-co-/

Ok so RHPreyda is the successor to Halls Proedge so you can undoubtedly use that to assist in your decision making :)

It also appears that most of the Halls resellers are out of stock now..

I think its close to a wash based on my limited experience. You'll get a bigger but less finished stone with the Halls versus an arguably nicer but smaller stone from Dans for comparable prices. If you're willing to spend the time finishing the stone the Preyda might be worth it depending on the price delta.

Dans does have long/wide stones but whoo the prices are impressive as well (
https://www.danswhetstone.com/product/wide-bench-stones/

Interestingly they rate the surgical black as finer than the translucent which is the reverse of what Preyda is currently saying. I think that Dans rating lines up with what I was seeing for cut speed. I should flatten the Halls one I have better and see, hmmph, this has added more work. :rolleyes:

[Bill Houghton]

Each stripe is a touch over 3/8" wide, so this is optimized for sharpening 1/4" or narrower chisels - no need to move from one stone to the next, it's all right there! Although they could have gone really uptown, and had a Washita and maybe some really coarse crystolon or such stones, with the gradations from "remove the chip" to "polish the edge" marching across the width.

Maybe they hired someone from the marketing department of one of those companies that issues woodworking tools that solve a problem no one's ever noticed before.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Maybe they hired someone from the marketing department of one of those companies that issues woodworking tools that solve a problem no one's ever noticed before.

Perhaps this one-
381675

[Robert Hazelwood]

I was intrigued by the Arkansas waterstones and visited their site, and saw the same thing. What a bizarre concept. I agree with the general assessment of their marketing, it would put me off of buying anything from there. But the idea of a waterstone made from novaculite still intrigues me...seems like if you could get the binder right, and maybe add a touch of alumina, you could have a man made Jnat. Of course I wouldn't trust these guys to get that right, ha.

I second the recommendation for Dan's. They are expensive but the stones are flat and fine-cutting out of the box (translucent). If you can manage an 8x2x1\2" stone the prices aren't too bad, and that is big enough to handle anything if you can sharpen freehand. Of course the bigger, thicker stones are way cooler, but the prices just get crazy. I kind of lust after a big "primitive" cut Translucent.

[Jason Lester]

That striped one is really bizarre. I can't imagine any sharpening scenario where you would want to hone on alternating grits like that.

[Mike Cutler]

Perhaps this one-
381675

It's gotta a bottle opener on it. ;)

[michael langman]

"Natural Whetstone Company," is where I buy my Arkansas Stones.
Very good stones at a more reasonable price.

[Warren West]

That's what happens when the marketers get involved with product design.