Arkansas stone
Natural whetstone produced in Arkansas, United States, boasting world-class quality.
Arkansas stones are natural sharpening stones produced in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas, United States. This raw material is called novaculite, a sedimentary rock composed of microcrystalline quartz, recognized as a type of chert that has recrystallized, and it consists of over 99 percent pure silica. Novaculite is a sharpening stone that is almost nonexistent outside the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas, making it the finest polishing stone in the world. **Grades of Arkansas Stones** Soft Arkansas Stone (medium grit, specific gravity 2.25–2.30) Hard Select Arkansas Stone (fine grit, specific gravity 2.30-2.45) True Hard Arkansas Stone (extra fine grit, specific gravity 2.5 or higher) Black Hard Arkansas Stone (extra fine grit, specific gravity 2.5 or higher) Translucent Hard Arkansas Stone (extra fine grit, specific gravity 2.5 or higher) Arkansas stones and novaculite are classified by specific gravity rather than grain size.
basic information
Even if the whetstone is classified as soft Arkansas or true hard Arkansas, the quartz grains that form novaculite are essentially about 3-5 microns in size. A specific gravity test of the whetstone is conducted to measure the density of those stones (the fineness of the bonded grains). As a result, true hard Arkansas whetstones will contain more quartz grains than soft Arkansas whetstones. In other words, hard whetstones have fewer voids, while soft whetstones have more voids. The grain size of Arkansas novaculite is nearly uniform, and the grade varies with the amount of voids. Therefore, it becomes very difficult to compare the grain size of Arkansas whetstones with that of artificial whetstones. The measurement standards for the grain size of conventional artificial whetstones vary by country. According to the grain size standards in the United States, pure novaculite is said to be closest to #600-#1200, while in Japan, it is said to be #6000.
Price range
Delivery Time
Model number/Brand name
Soft Arkansas, Hard Arkansas, Genuine Hard Arkansas, Black Hard Arkansas, Translucent Hard Arkansas
Applications/Examples of results
For precision grinding of watches, drafting tools, limit gauges, block gauges, etc. For precision grinding of medical or genetic engineering tools such as blades, syringes, tweezers, etc. For sharpening field knives Others
Detailed information
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Arkansas whetstone The bench stone comes in a wooden box, while the pocket stone comes in a plastic case.
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Arkansas sharpening stone raw material. This is a freshly quarried Arkansas sharpening stone.
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Arkansas stone raw material This is a freshly quarried Arkansas sharpening stone raw material.
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Raw Arkansas whetstone. This is a finely cracked raw Arkansas whetstone. Even so, it weighs several dozen kilograms.
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Arkansas Whetstone Quarry This is a quarry for Arkansas whetstone. There is a sufficient amount of raw stone vein, so there is no concern about depletion, but since it is a natural whetstone, it may be difficult to specify colors.
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Arkansas sharpening stone raw material Finely crushed Arkansas sharpening stone raw material
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Arkansas Stone Quarry Arkansas stones are quarried using heavy machinery. The quarried raw stones are loaded onto trucks and transported to the factory.
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Inside the Arkansas stone processing factory, the raw stones quarried and transported to the factory are cut with a huge diamond cutter.
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Arkansas Stone Processing Factory The rough stones cut by a giant diamond cutter are further cut to the specified size.
