Gear guide
Best Sharpening Stone Oil and Honing Oil Substitutes
Picked from Amazon listings, not hands-on tests. How we pick
An oil stone, whether Arkansas, India or Crystolon, is used with a light honing oil that carries metal filings off the surface so the stone does not clog. Honing oil is a light mineral oil, which is why plain food grade mineral oil is the usual sharpening stone oil substitute; cooking oil is not a substitute. Two cautions before buying. A stone that has once been oiled has to stay on oil, so do not put oil on a water stone you want to keep using with water. And diamond plates are used dry or with water only, by DMT's instructions. The listings differ in volume, in the stated base (mineral oil, a non-petroleum solution, or nothing stated) and in whether the seller makes a food-safe statement, which matters for kitchen knives. That wording is quoted only as each listing makes it. This guide compares six bottles by what their Amazon listings state: five honing oils and one plain mineral oil. Nothing here was tested.
Compare the picks
| Pick | Volume | Base | Food-safe statement | Price | Per fl oz | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Norton sharpening stone oil, 4.5 oz can | 4.5 oz can | Mineral oil (USP purity) | For use near food prep | - | - | Amazon |
 Smith's HON1 honing solution, 4 oz bottle | 4 oz bottle | Non-petroleum-based | not stated | - | - | Amazon |
 Thirteen Chefs knife and honing oil, 12 oz | 12 oz | not stated | Food safe certified | - | - | Amazon |
 Thirteen Chefs food grade mineral oil, 8 oz | 8 oz | Food grade mineral oil | NSF certified food grade | - | - | Amazon |
 UniKitchen knife blade and honing oil, 8 oz | 8 oz | not stated | Food-safe ingredients | - | - | Amazon |
 Dan's Whetstone honing oil, 3 fl oz bottle | 3 fl oz | not stated | 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 jobNorton sharpening stone oil, 4.5 oz canMeets the U.S. Pharmacopeia mineral oil purity standards, which the listing ties to use near food preparation.
- Most for the money on paperSmith's HON1 honing solution, 4 oz bottleNon-petroleum-based, with built-in cleaning agents meant to keep metal chips from bonding to and clogging the stone.
- Most complete listingThirteen Chefs knife and honing oil, 12 ozListed as food safe certified, made in USA facilities, with no odor or taste.
The picks in detail
Pick 1 · Norton
Norton sharpening stone oil, 4.5 oz can
See price on AmazonNorton Abrasives honing oil in a 4.5 oz can. The listing says it meets U.S. Pharmacopeia mineral oil purity standards and is to be used with oil stones and oil stone systems only.
What the listing offers
- Meets the U.S. Pharmacopeia mineral oil purity standards, which the listing ties to use near food preparation.
- Described as dislodging abrasive and metal chips so metal does not bond to the surface of the stone.
- The 4.5 oz can is sized for storage at home or in a portable sharpening system.
Limits to know
- For oil stones and oil stone systems only: the listing says it is not compatible with water stone designs.
- A small can at 4.5 oz; frequent sharpening on a large bench stone calls for a bigger container.
Pick 2 · Smith's
Smith's HON1 honing solution, 4 oz bottle
See price on AmazonA non-petroleum-based honing solution with built-in stone cleaning agents and rust inhibitors, in a 4 oz flip-top bottle. The listing names Arkansas stones as a main use.
What the listing offers
- Non-petroleum-based, with built-in cleaning agents meant to keep metal chips from bonding to and clogging the stone.
- Contains rust and corrosion inhibitors, according to the listing.
- Comes in a 4 oz flip-top bottle for easy use and storage.
Limits to know
- The listing makes no food-safe statement, which matters if the oil will be used on kitchen knives.
- It is not a mineral oil, and the listing does not say what the non-petroleum base is.
Pick 3 · Thirteen Chefs
Thirteen Chefs knife and honing oil, 12 oz
See price on AmazonA 12 oz bottle sold both as a rust barrier for carbon steel knives and as an oil for sharpening stones. The listing calls it food safe certified, odorless and tasteless.
What the listing offers
- Listed as food safe certified, made in USA facilities, with no odor or taste.
- The listing names use with sharpening stones alongside garden tools, axes and meat grinders.
- Also sold as a rust barrier for carbon steel knives, so one bottle covers the stone and the blade.
Limits to know
- The base oil is not named anywhere in the listing.
- The listing also suggests it for wet stones (whetstones); on a water stone, oil is a one-way choice.
Pick 4 · Thirteen Chefs
Thirteen Chefs food grade mineral oil, 8 oz
See price on AmazonPlain food grade mineral oil in an 8 oz squeeze bottle, sold mainly as a cutting board conditioner. It is the substitute option: the listing itself names sharpening stones among its uses.
What the listing offers
- NSF certified food grade mineral oil: colorless, odorless and tasteless by the listing.
- The listing names sharpening stones among its uses, next to cutting boards and knife handles.
- Push-applicator cap on a squeeze bottle, and made in the USA by the listing.
Limits to know
- Sold as a cutting board oil, not a honing oil: the listing does not say how light or thin the oil is.
- No cleaning agents or rust inhibitors are mentioned, unlike a purpose-made honing solution.
Pick 5 · UniKitchen
UniKitchen knife blade and honing oil, 8 oz
See price on AmazonAn 8 oz bottle with a twist cap, sold as a knife blade oil and honing oil. The listing says it is composed of 100% natural food-safe ingredients and can be used with sharpener stones.
What the listing offers
- The listing states it is composed of 100% natural food-safe ingredients.
- A twist cap for applying the oil, and the bottle is made in the USA according to the listing.
- Sold for both jobs: a rust barrier on knife blades and an oil for sharpener stones.
Limits to know
- The ingredients are not named, so the listing does not say whether the base is mineral oil.
- Most of the listing is about protecting blades from rust; stone use gets a single line.
Pick 6 · DAN'S WHETSTONE COMPANY, INC.
Dan's Whetstone honing oil, 3 fl oz bottle
See price on AmazonA 3 fl oz bottle of honing oil under the Dan's Whetstone Company name. The listing is two lines long: the bottle size, and that the oil helps keep the stone free of metal filings.
What the listing offers
- The brand on the listing is Dan's Whetstone Company, Inc.
- Stated job: helps keep your stone free of metal filings.
- A 3 fl oz bottle, small enough to keep with a pocket stone or a field kit.
Limits to know
- The listing does not state what the oil is made of or its base.
- No food-safe statement is made, and 3 fl oz is the smallest bottle in this guide.
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.
- How to Clean a Sharpening Stone (Water, Oil, Ceramic, Diamond)Clean a grey, glazed sharpening stone by type: water, oil, diamond or ceramic. What to use, what never to use, and the sign that the stone needs flattening.
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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.