The so-called Arkansas stones are sandstone sharpening stones that are ideal for sharpening cutting tools. They are made up of novaculite deposits and are found in certain areas of the American state of Arkansas (United States). Novaculite is a sedimentary sandstone rock of quite density and smooth texture, where silica predominates in the form of silicates more than chalcedony. The deposits appear stratified making it easy to obtain stones with a flat surface. They can be obtained from different grades Soft Arkansas, Hard Arkansas, Hard Black Arkansas, and Washita. Washita is the coarsest of all and should be used on tools with very blunt and damaged blades, the soft one is slightly finer than the previous one and can be used in a general way, it provides good edges in a short time of use. The hard should be used to sharpen a good edge achieved with the others and the harder black is excellent for obtaining high precision sharpening such as a razor or barber. This type of sharpening stones must be used with specific oil for sharpening, the reason is that it makes the residue resulting from sharpening easier to remove and that the resistance offered by the stone is less when sliding the tool. For carbon steels they are ideal since they avoid the water used in other types of stone.
