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In Memoriam Comment by Robert Burris on May 17, 2011 at 12:14

Thanks guys, I learned something and will get A.G.'s oil. I use oil on some india and Arkansaw stones with great results on knives that I don't want to subject to a Japanese wet stone.

Comment by Halicon on May 16, 2011 at 16:47

Russell, yep you spotted a mistake of mine. I have never used an India stone and thought they basically were a coarser variety of an Arkansas that were mined further south. I have good knowledge about Novaculite though and just so that you know it exists in England and many other places too but generally as much finer stones.

 

I assumed that one understands what water or oil does on a stone which is help reveal fresh new abrasive particles. Oil does this better than water for stones with Novaculite and water yield to be honest inferior results which is what I believe I typed (that it aids in breaking down the particles, not that it breakes down the particles, same when working with a whetstone and water)

In Memoriam Comment by Robert Burris on May 16, 2011 at 14:30

Mr. Russell, Do ya'll still sell this fine oil today? If so what is the part number?

Comment by A. G. Russell on May 16, 2011 at 11:14

Don,

Any good sewing machine oil will work, do not use olive oil or 3-in-1 oil as both will gum up and make the stone useless.

When I was opeerating Russell's Arkansas Olistones, Inc. in the come 1960s I had the Phillips oil company develop a fine oil just as I wanted.  After I bought 35,000 cans I could not tell it from the then Singer Sewing Machine Oil.,  today we are almost out.

Comment by A. G. Russell on May 16, 2011 at 8:37

Sorry Halicon, I am not sure that you understand just what novaculite is.  Novaculite is a very fine quartze like material that is found on the surface of the earth onln in a very small area from central Arkansas into eastern Oklahoma, it is also found at below 3,000 in oil drill cores in west Texas..  A new Arkansas stone can be used with either oil or water, once oil is used water will not work.   India Stone® is a man made material that is made from aluminum oxide and is made to contain oil so it cannot be used with water.

 

Oil has nothing to do with the break down of particles, what oil does is float the particles of steel out of the surface of the stone, water does the same thing but less well.

 

Comment by Halicon on May 14, 2011 at 1:23

Technically, oil is only used for the stones that water don't work with, hence you use oil which aids in breaking down the particles. Novaculite is the reason of this and it's what makes up India stones, Arkansas, Charnley Forest (very very fine oil stone but works with water too) and so on. Novaculite is the reason why we have to use oil on those stones.

In Memoriam Comment by Robert Burris on May 12, 2011 at 13:07

I'd like to ask you guys a question. Is there one brand of honing oil better than the rest or is there some brands to stay away from? What's the deal with honing oils?

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