Product Review

his is a set of 3 genuine Arkansas pocket sharpening stone: Soft (Medium), Hard (Fine) and Black (Ultra Fine). Each stone is 3 x 1 x thick. These stones come in a leather pouch to protect them when not in use. The different stone grades are as follows: Soft Arkansas (Medium): coarsest, most versatile and most popular of the Arkansas stones. Soft Arkansas stones are used to quickly put an initial edge on dull or neglected knives or other cutting tools. This is a natural stone and color can vary from white to gray/black to pink/gray, or a combination of these colors in a single stone. Hard Arkansas (Fine): used to establish and maintain a keen edge on cutting tools. This natural stone color can include Grey, White, Black/Grey, Grey/Pink, Black/ White, White or White/ Pink, or a combination of these colors. Black: This is the hardest of the Arkansas stones and was traditionally used to sharpen dental tools and scalpels, hence the name "Surgical." The Black Arkansas will hone a polished, very sharp razor sharp edge on knives and tools. Black Arkansas stones are used by the most discerning chefs, sportsman and woodworkers. Color can vary from dark grey, to blue/black to black. Genuine Arkansas stones are 100% quarried in the Ouachita Mountains of central Arkansas. They are highly sought after worldwide for their superior ability to sharpen knives and woodworking tools, as well as to put surgical quality edges on a wide variety of instruments. Arkansas stones produce these fine edges with less wear than man-made stones. All Arkansas stones work best with light mineral honing oil to suspend the metal particles produced by the sharpening process which prevents clogging of the pores of the stone.