The Hard Black Arkansas stone is natural stone with a high content of microcrystalline quartz. Quarried in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas and Oklahoma, it makes a great surface for sharpening knives and tools. The Hard Black Arkansas stone is finer than even the Hard Arkansas stone so it leaves a finer edge. As the name suggests, these stones are black in color. The handsome wooden box keeps the stone safe when not in use. The Hard Black Arkansas stone is available in 4 sizes to fit your needs. The 4" x 2" x 1/2" is a small economical stone that is best used only on smaller knives and tools. The 6" x 2" x 1/2" is a medium-sized stone that is popular due to the good size and value. If you do a lot of sharpening, you’ll appreciate a large 8" x 2" x 1/2" or wider 8" x 3" x 1/2" stone; the generous size allows for longer strokes to speed up the sharpening process.
Proudly quarried and made in the USA.
Q. How do the grits of Arkansas Stones Compare to each other?
A. Arkansas Stones are graded not by grit numbers like other types of stone, but by their density and hardness. The less dense, or softer the stone, the coarser it is. The more dense, or harder the stone, the finer it is. The coarsest Arkansas Stone we carry is the Soft Arkansas. The Hard Arkansas is in the middle of the Arkansas stones, and the Hard Black and Hard Translucent Arkansas stones are the finest.
Q. How do the grits of the Arkansas Stones compare to other types of oil stones?
A. The Soft Arkansas is a bit finer than the Fine India and the Fine Crystolon stones, and it makes an excellent next step from those types.
Q. How fine of an Arkansas Stone do I need?
A. The decision of what stone to finish with is a personal one depending on what kind of edge you desire. In general, a Soft Arkansas stone will leave a good edge with a bit of tooth. A Hard Arkansas will leave a more refined edge that is more highly polished. And a Hard Black or Hard Translucent Arkansas will leave a very refined edge that is approaching mirror fine.