Smith's Natural Arkansas 4 Inch Sharpening Stone

The Smith's Natural Arkansas Stone is a 4 by 1 inch fine stone in a yellow composition base with a lid.

Natural Arkansas stone is novaculite, quarried rather than manufactured, and it cuts more slowly than a synthetic stone while leaving a considerably finer edge. Fine is the finishing grade, used to polish an edge that a coarser stone has already shaped rather than to repair a dull one.

The base holds the stone flat and off the bench, and the lid keeps grit and dust off the surface between uses, which matters more than it sounds since a contaminated stone scratches an edge. Arkansas stone is used with oil rather than water, since oil floats the swarf clear where water lets it clog the surface. Explore more sharpeners.

• Natural novaculite, finer than a synthetic stone
• Fine grade, for finishing rather than repairing
• Lid keeps grit off the surface between uses
• Use oil, since water lets the stone clog