Arkansas - Natural Oilstones

Arkansas Sharpening Stones

Natural Arkansas stones are a traditional long established way to sharpen edge tools. In fact they were the original way to sharpen in the western world with stones quarried from local mines, shaped and flattened for use in sharpening. Not many quarries exist these days so the supply of natural arkansas stones is limited. Classic Hand Tools have been importing natural stones from RH Preyda for many years now and their consistency of quality is much praised.

RH Preyda 100% natural Arkansas stones are made from Novaculite - the ultimate sharpening stone.
Quarried in the Ouachita Mountains, near Hot Springs, Arkansas, Novaculite is not found anywhere else in the world. The unique cryptocrystalline structure of Novaculite allows the stone to retain its effective abrasive characteristic and shape. Sharpening stones are composed of 99.9% pure silica. What makes Novaculite so unique is it’s ability to remove less material than other abrasive products. Because the stone is naturally so durable, it is able to perform for an extended period of time and never require lapping or flattening.

Mined and crafted since prehistoric times, Novaculite was originally used to sharpen and produce the earliest of tools from a simple arrowhead to an axe. Today, the stone is prized for its range of versatility. Exhibiting the ability to maintain tools in pristine condition from the smoothest blade to the sharpest edge, Novaculite stones are applicable to virtually any blade edge industry.

RH Preyda stones are quarried within the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas, then cut and finished at their family-owned factory. The Ouachita Mountain range spans western Arkansas to southeastern Oklahoma and is home to many natural wonders, abundant minerals, and wildlife.  Durability and quality are born into the DNA of a true Arkansas stone.

Stones are graded by their density. Colours and patterns in each stone will vary in each stone (quite radically actually in many cases - so it is the denisty that you are seeking - not pure colour!) Use with premium honing oil - just a few drops - wipe clean after use.

Soft Arkansas GRIT 400-600 Approx

Hard Arkansas GRIT 800-1000 Approx

Hard Black Arkansas GRIT 2000-3000 Approx

Surgica Black Arkansas GRIT 4000-6000 Approx

Translucent Arkansas GRIT 8000-10000 Approx

RH Preyda provides the effective, high-quality solution to any edge - the ultimate sharpening stone.