Gear guide
Best Arkansas Sharpening Stones: Soft, Hard and Black Compared
Picked from Amazon listings, not hands-on tests. How we pick
An Arkansas stone is a natural oil stone cut from novaculite, and it is sold by grade, not by a grit number. Dan's Whetstone, one of the quarries, gives a related grit as a range for each grade: soft about 400 to 600, hard 600 to 800, true hard 800 to 1000, black and translucent 1200 and over. Soft is the grade that puts an edge on a dull knife; hard and the finer grades refine it. Color is not a grade: a hard stone can be grey, white or pink. Sellers also use the words differently (one listing here calls a hard stone ultra fine), so read the grade name. These stones are used with a light honing oil, and once oil has been on a stone it stays an oil stone. This guide compares seven stones and sets by grade, size, whether the listing mentions oil, and the box, base or pouch included. No translucent stone was among the listings available, so the finest grade here is black. Everything comes from the listings; nothing here was tested.
Compare the picks
| Pick | Grade | Size | Use with | Base or case | Price | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Best Sharpening Stones 3-stone Arkansas set, 8 in | Soft, Hard, Black | 2 x 8 in each | not stated | Wood base | - | Amazon |
 Dan's soft/hard combination bench stone, 8 x 2 x 1 in | Soft and Hard, combination | 8 x 2 x 1 in | not stated | Fitted wood box | - | Amazon |
 Dan's EZ Hone 4-stone system, 6 x 1 x 1/4 in stones | Soft, Hard, True Hard | 6 x 1 x 1/4 in each | Honing oil, 1 oz included | Plastic storage tube | - | Amazon |
 Taytools hard Arkansas bench stone, 8 x 2 x 1/2 in | Hard (Fine) | 8 x 2 x 1/2 in | not stated | Wood box | - | Amazon |
 Dan's 3-stone Arkansas pocket set, 3 x 1 x 1/4 in | Soft, Hard, Black | 3 x 1 x 1/4 in each | not stated | Leather pouch each | - | Amazon |
 Bear & Son soft Arkansas stone, 2 x 4 x 0.5 in | Soft | 2 x 4 x 0.5 in | not stated | Wood storage box | - | Amazon |
 Norton HB14 hard Arkansas stone, 4 x 1 x 3/8 in | Hard | 4 x 1 x 3/8 in | Oil | not stated | - | Amazon |
Facts are taken from each Amazon listing. Prices are checked daily and shown with their date.
If you just want one
- Closest match for the jobBest Sharpening Stones 3-stone Arkansas set, 8 inThree grades in one set: soft, hard and black Arkansas, which the listing labels coarse, fine and extra-fine.
- Most for the money on paperTaytools hard Arkansas bench stone, 8 x 2 x 1/2 inFull bench size: 8 inches long, 2 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick, as the listing states.
- Most complete listingDan's EZ Hone 4-stone system, 6 x 1 x 1/4 in stonesThe only pick here with a True Hard (Extra Fine) stone, alongside Soft (Medium) and Hard (Fine).
The picks in detail
Pick 1 · Best Sharpening Stones
Best Sharpening Stones 3-stone Arkansas set, 8 in
See price on AmazonThree wood-mounted Arkansas stones, soft, hard and black, in the 2 x 8 inch size. A full progression from the first edge to the finest grade in one purchase, at a length that suits kitchen knives.
What the listing offers
- Three grades in one set: soft, hard and black Arkansas, which the listing labels coarse, fine and extra-fine.
- Each stone is wood mounted, and the listing says it can be used as a bench stone or handheld.
- Listed as genuine Arkansas stones made in the USA, with a lifetime guarantee stated.
Limits to know
- The listing does not say which lubricant to use and gives no thickness for the stones.
- The same set is sold in 2 x 6 and 2 x 10 inch sizes, so check the size before ordering; no quarry is named.
Pick 2 · DAN'S WHETSTONE COMPANY, INC.
Dan's soft/hard combination bench stone, 8 x 2 x 1 in
See price on AmazonOne 8 x 2 x 1 inch bench stone that combines Dan's Soft (Medium) and Hard (Fine) grades, in a fitted wood box. Two steps in a full-size stone for kitchen and hunting knives.
What the listing offers
- Contains two grades, Soft (Medium) and Hard (Fine), in one stone 8 inches long, 2 inches wide and 1 inch thick.
- Quarried in the Ouachita Mountains of central Arkansas by Dan's Whetstone, per the listing.
- Comes in a fitted wooden box that protects the stone when it is not in use.
Limits to know
- Stops at the hard grade: there is no true hard, black or translucent side for a finer finish.
- The listing notes that colors vary from stone to stone, and it neither mentions nor includes oil.
Pick 3 · DAN'S WHETSTONE COMPANY, INC.
Dan's EZ Hone 4-stone system, 6 x 1 x 1/4 in stones
See price on AmazonFour 6 x 1 x 1/4 inch stones: a coarse silicon carbide stone plus Soft (Medium), Hard (Fine) and True Hard (Extra Fine) Arkansas, with one ounce of honing oil, stored in a plastic tube.
What the listing offers
- The only pick here with a True Hard (Extra Fine) stone, alongside Soft (Medium) and Hard (Fine).
- A coarse silicon carbide stone is included for the first step on a dull edge.
- Comes with one ounce of honing oil and a plastic tube for storage.
Limits to know
- The coarse stone is silicon carbide, not Arkansas: three of the four stones are natural.
- The stones are 1 inch wide, narrow for wide kitchen blades, and the listing does not describe how they are held or mounted.
Pick 4 · Taytools
Taytools hard Arkansas bench stone, 8 x 2 x 1/2 in
See price on AmazonA single-grade Hard (Fine) Arkansas bench stone, 8 x 2 x 1/2 inch, fitted in a wood box. A finishing stone to follow a soft Arkansas or another medium stone.
What the listing offers
- Full bench size: 8 inches long, 2 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick, as the listing states.
- Hard (Fine) grade, described as used to establish and maintain the keen edge on cutting tools.
- Listed as genuine novaculite quarried in the Ouachita Mountains of central Arkansas, fitted in a wood box.
Limits to know
- One grade only: a dull or damaged edge needs a coarser stone first.
- Half the thickness of the 1 inch combination stone in this guide, and the listing does not mention oil.
Pick 5 · DAN'S WHETSTONE COMPANY, INC.
Dan's 3-stone Arkansas pocket set, 3 x 1 x 1/4 in
See price on AmazonThree pocket stones from Dan's Whetstone: Soft (Medium), Hard (Fine) and Black (Ultra Fine), each 3 x 1 x 1/4 inch in its own leather pouch. The three-grade progression in a size for pocket knives.
What the listing offers
- Three grades named in the listing: Soft (Medium), Hard (Fine) and Black (Ultra Fine).
- Each stone comes in its own leather pouch to protect it when not in use.
- Quarried in the Ouachita Mountains of central Arkansas, per the listing.
Limits to know
- At 3 x 1 inch these are pocket stones: too short for comfortable work on kitchen knives.
- The listing bullet prints the thickness as 14 where the title gives 1/4 inch, and oil is not mentioned.
Pick 6 · Bear & Son Cutlery
Bear & Son soft Arkansas stone, 2 x 4 x 0.5 in
See price on AmazonA 4 inch natural soft Arkansas stone, 2 x 4 x 0.5 inch, in a wood storage box. A small bench stone for a toolbox or tackle box and for pocket and hunting knives.
What the listing offers
- Soft Arkansas grade in a 2 x 4 x 0.5 inch stone, wider than the 1 inch pocket stones in this guide.
- Comes with a wood storage box, so the stone has a case for a toolbox or tackle box.
- The listing describes it as 100% natural Arkansas novaculite for both sharpening and honing.
Limits to know
- Only 4 inches long: long kitchen knives need more strokes and more care than on an 8 inch stone.
- Single soft grade, and the listing does not mention oil or name the quarry.
Pick 7 · Norton
Norton HB14 hard Arkansas stone, 4 x 1 x 3/8 in
See price on AmazonNorton's HB14 precision benchstone: a hard Arkansas stone, 4 x 1 x 3/8 inch, that the title labels ultra fine. A small finishing stone for pocket knives and fine tools, used with oil.
What the listing offers
- Hard Arkansas grade, described as a very dense, fine grained natural stone for a keen, polished finish.
- The listing says using it with oil enhances the sharpening action and minimizes clogging of the surface.
- Listed for pocket knives, engravers' tools and other small cutting tools; novaculite quarried in Arkansas.
Limits to know
- Small at 4 x 1 x 3/8 inch, and no box, pouch or base is mentioned in the listing.
- A finishing stone only: the listing gives no related grit, just the words ultra fine in the title.
Read before you buy
- Sharpening Stone: Oil or Water?Tell an oil stone from a water stone with a few drops of water, see which liquid each of 4 stone types takes, and what to do with a stone already oiled.
- Sharpening Stone Grit Chart: Whetstone, Diamond and Oil Stone GritsPrintable grit chart: Japanese (JIS) water stone grits 240 to 8000 in microns, beside DMT diamond mesh and colors and Arkansas oil stone grades.
More gear for the choose your stones stage
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- Best Whetstone for Beginners: One Stone That Covers Most Knives
- Best Sharpening Stones for Pocket Knives: Bench and Pocket Size
- Best Diamond Sharpening Stones and Plates for Knives
Stone and Strop chooses every product independently from what its Amazon listing states. We may earn a commission from the links above. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.