Are the walmart knife sharpening stones ok?

[needin4mation]

Is it okay to sharpen pocket knives with the walmart sharpening stones? or should I pay more and get a different kind? Thanks.

[AAvK]

Anything is "OK" along these lines of life, we all learn by doing.

Does the box say Norton on it? Does it say "made in USA" on it? Does it say "made in China" on it? Does it matter? It can! Does this news group as participating galoots know anything about the stones you are refering to? You should come back with more detail on it.

On the other hand:

Is the stone all black? If the box does not say "Norton" on it then it is no doubt low grade silicon carbide, whether it was made in the US or China. If the box does say Norton then it is an acceptably high grade SC which is called Crystolon, this only comes in lower grits which is good for 'removing metal', the beginning of the sharpening process on a rounded edge. Modern Crystolon is excellent.

If you get a Norton combination stone of black on one side and orange on the other, the orange side is aluminum oxide which will be the finer grit of either 220 or

320. Good quality stone! Someone I know has had his since 1969, inherited from his father - so, older than that - it has no dishing in the surface which is because he has always used it properly.

All you'd need is a Norton India combo stone and/or an Arkansas natural hard stone (not soft). And Norton sharpening oil for both of course. The Norton combo is two crude grits that cut the metal very well, but the Arkansas will be a finer grit. Or you could get an Ark combo stone.

I suggest do not go the cheapo route, with the cost of a stone no matter where it is made, you get what you pay for. A cheap stone takes a long time of hard work to get you an edge, that is poor quality. As well, I do not recommend the Norton combo stone that sells for around $8 at home centers, it is made in the US but, same story as above. It is the lowest grade SC, very crude, and it dumps oil right out the bottom of it, the oil costs money!

On another hand:

Lee Valley sells a non Norton made AO India combo stone of which the grits are

90 and 600 I have never seen this stone sold anywhere else on the 'net or in the US but it is made in the US. I think Norton's fine AO is 220 or 320 grit. This stone is all you would need ideally, but I myself would still have an 'in between' grit. Click and take a gander: when you buy a new stone, you will need a wooden box with a lid for it. The box also absorbs oil.

Have fun!

[mywebaccts (at) PLUGcomcast.ne]

I would think it all depends on what you are sharpening. I have pocket knives ($10) that I wouldn't mind sharpening on a grinder. Then I have others ($400) that I would want a surgeon to sharpen.

Jack

[e-mail] wrote:

[needin4mation]

I couldn't find it at WalMart online, but I found it here:

's=AE Sharpening Stone (Mbk 6b) Item no: 28640

"This 6" Medium Arkansas Stone is secured on a molded plastic base to make sharpening safe and easy. This 100% Natural Arkansas Stone is excellent for sharpening larger knives and tools.

6" x 1-5/8" x 1/2" stone Medium grit Cedar block mounted"

Thanks for the information you gave!

AAvK wrote:

cipating galoots

s no doubt low

the sharpening

because he has

r grit. Or you

same story as

the bottom of

for it.

[CW]

That stone should do a very good job for you.

's® Sharpening Stone (Mbk 6b) Item no: 28640

"This 6" Medium Arkansas Stone is secured on a molded plastic base to make sharpening safe and easy. This 100% Natural Arkansas Stone is excellent for sharpening larger knives and tools.

6" x 1-5/8" x 1/2" stone Medium grit Cedar block mounted"

Thanks for the information you gave!

AAvK wrote:

participating galoots

for it.

[AAvK]

Smith's® Sharpening Stone (Mbk 6b)

Yes that is a soft Arkansas (which is a medium grit), they are slow cutting stones, good for polishing the edge. I would get a standard hard Arkansas stone (been pining away to get one myself) and the Norton India combo stone. That Smith's will work though, even if it's all you ever had.

You'd use the Ark as the final honing. Only the soft stones are common in stores, you could consider shopping online, like on eBay, Dan's whetsone Co.and Hall's Proedge, Hand America, Chef's depot, places like that.

Water stones are softer and will develope dishing easily, they wear much faster. A good oil stone will last you all your life.

As far as oil, I recommend only Norton pint (medium light mineral oil), unscented baby oil (very light mineral oil) for harder stones of finer grit. And I've read in this NG you can use olive oil too - light for finer grit, extra virgin for lower grits because it is a thicker viscosity. Personally I wouldn't do it because it goes rancid in six months. Kerosene is the perfect viscosity but to me it stinks to high heaven. Say if you went to a drug store you could buy plain mineral oil, it is very thick but it can be thinned with kerosene, perfectly.

People say that WD-40 is fine too, that it is merely the same as diesel and kerosene simply loaded with, umm, "better smells", I don't want to use it because of possible "gumming-up" in the stone, I don't think that would be good. Someone else of true experience may correct me, invited.

Have FUN!

[Bradford Chaucer]

Get one or two of the DMT diamond plates at Woodcraft. The ones that are the size of a credit card are fine for a pocket knife. Get a fine and extra fine. Anything coarser is for reshaping or restoring a seriously damaged blade and is too aggressive for normal honing.

BTW advantage of a diamond stone is that it can be used dry or with a little water - much cleaner.