An Arkansas stone is a natural sharpening stone cut from novaculite, a dense quartz rock mined in the Ouachita Mountains. It comes in grades by density: Soft (the coarsest, for setting an edge), Hard (for refining), and Black or Translucent (for a polished finish). They're used with light oil, stay flat for decades, and cut more slowly than modern synthetic or diamond stones. For most people, a Soft plus a Hard, or a three-stone tri-hone, covers everything.
What novaculite is
The Arkansas Geological Survey describes novaculite as a recrystallized chert made mostly of quartz crystals 1 to 5 microns across. Whetstone-grade material got its tight texture from pressure metamorphism when the Ouachita Mountains formed, and it's mined mostly in Garland and Hot Spring Counties. Early settlers worked a honestone quarry near Magnet Cove in the early 1800s, and the survey records novaculite mining as intermittent from 1885 to 1905 and continuous ever since.
The trade splits it into two kinds, per the survey: Arkansas stone (extremely fine-grained, waxy, usually white or light gray) and Washita stone (less dense, more porous, dull like unglazed porcelain). Washita is a coarser, faster stone; it's less common now, and you'll mostly see the Arkansas grades below.
The grades, and two grit charts that disagree
Because the stone is natural, nobody can sieve it to a grit size the way synthetic stones are made. Sellers translate grades into rough grit equivalents, and one independent test measured them. The two don't match:
| Grade | Seller grit equivalent | Measured (Best Sharpening Stones) | Job |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soft | 600–800 | about 12 micron, roughly 1200 | Setting a new edge, fast work |
| Hard | 800–1000 | 10–11 micron, roughly 1500 | Refining and maintaining |
| Black (Hard Black, Surgical Black) | 1200+ | 7–7.5 micron, 2300–2500 | Finishing, polish |
| Translucent | 1200+ | 5.5–6 micron, 3500–4000 | Finishing, razor polish |
The seller column comes from Sharpening Supplies and Jende Industries, which publish the same bands. The measured column comes from Best Sharpening Stones, which broke each stone in with 500 passes, then compared the scratch pattern at 100x against lapping films of known micron size. Their conclusion was that Arkansas stones are finer than the usual charts say. Their own caveat applies too: a natural stone varies piece to piece.
Black vs Translucent is the real argument. Sharpening Supplies says the two have the same density and grit and only the color differs. Dan's Whetstone, which quarries its own stone, labels its Black Surgical grade "the hardest of the Arkansas stones." Best Sharpening Stones measured Translucent finer. In use, either is a finishing stone. Don't pay extra for one over the other.
Color doesn't tell you the grade. Dan's listings say soft stones can be white, gray, black or pink, and that color and pattern don't indicate grit or quality.
How fast they cut
Slowly, compared with modern stones. In the same Best Sharpening Stones test, Soft removed steel about 20% faster than Hard and about 40% faster than Black and Translucent, which removed steel at about the same rate. Even Soft is slow next to a coarse synthetic or diamond stone, which is why tri-hone kits usually pair Arkansas stones with a coarse silicon carbide stone for reshaping. The upside of hard, slow stones: they barely wear. Sharpening Supplies notes they rarely need flattening.
Which knives and steels they suit
| Steel | Arkansas? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Carbon steel (1095, old slipjoints, carbon kitchen knives) | Excellent | The traditional pairing |
| Simple stainless such as 420HC | Good | Expect slower work on Soft |
| Woodworking chisels and plane irons | Good for finishing | Flatten backs on something faster first; see sharpening a chisel |
| High-vanadium stainless (S30V, S90V, MagnaCut) | Slow; use diamond | Owners on Kitchen Knife Forums use diamond through the whole progression on these |
| Axe microbevels | Good | The US Forest Service ax manual suggests a Hard Arkansas for the microbevel |
If most of your knives are modern super-steels, read whetstone vs diamond stone and the best diamond sharpening stone picks before buying Arkansas.
Which grades to buy
| If you sharpen | Get |
|---|---|
| Pocket and hunting knives, in the field | A Soft and a Hard pocket stone, or the Dan's 3-piece pocket set (Soft, Hard, Black) |
| Pocket and kitchen knives at home | A bench Soft plus Hard, or a tri-hone with a coarse stone for repairs |
| Edges you want polished (razors, carving tools) | Add a Black or Translucent |
| Only touch-ups on an already sharp edge | A Hard alone |
Real options on Amazon right now:
- Dan's TRI-8: three 8-inch stones (coarse silicon carbide, Soft and Hard Arkansas) on a wood base with honing oil and a 23-degree guide. The most complete single purchase.
- Bench stones from the same quarry, 8 x 2 x 1/2 inch in a wood box: Soft, Hard and Black Surgical.
- Pocket stones, 3 x 1 inch in leather pouches: the Soft (966 ratings) and Translucent.
- Smith's TRI6 Tri-Hone is the best-selling tri-hone, but read the listing: only the fine stone is Arkansas; the medium and coarse are synthetic. Its rating (3.7) is also well below the Dan's stones.
How to use an Arkansas stone
- Set the stone in its box or on a non-slip pad. Put a few drops of light honing or mineral oil on it and spread it into a thin film. Dan's listing calls for light mineral honing oil; our sharpening stone oil guide covers substitutes.
- Start on Soft. Hold your angle and stroke edge-first until a burr forms along the whole edge, then flip and repeat.
- Wipe the gray oil off, re-oil, and move to Hard with lighter strokes, alternating sides.
- For a polished edge, finish on Black or Translucent with very light strokes, then a few passes on a strop.
- Wipe each stone clean while the oil is still wet and put the lid on.
Never use one dry. Smith's warns the pores clog and the stone stops cutting, and Sharpening Supplies says the same about dry use. If yours has gone shiny and slick, scrub it with kerosene or mineral spirits and a stiff brush, then re-oil. Flattening is rarely needed; when it is, Sharpening Supplies and Jende point to a coarse diamond plate such as DMT's Dia-Flat, which DMT designs for flattening water stones and Arkansas stones.
Arkansas vs synthetic and diamond
An Arkansas stone gives up speed for longevity and feel. A synthetic water stone of similar fineness cuts faster but wears and needs flattening; see the sharpening stone grit chart and our Japanese whetstone picks for that route. A diamond plate cuts anything and stays flat, but leaves a scratchier edge. Plenty of people end up with a coarse diamond plate for repairs and an Arkansas for everything after.
Sources: Arkansas Geological Survey, "Novaculite (Silica Stone)"; Sharpening Supplies "Understanding Arkansas Stones" and Arkansas Stone FAQ; Jende Industries Arkansas Stone FAQ; Best Sharpening Stones "Arkansas Sharpening Stone Grits"; US Forest Service ax manual, chapter 8; DMT FAQ, read October 13, 2026. Product details from Amazon listings checked the same day. How we research · Affiliate disclosure