Natural whetstone produced in Arkansas, United States, boasting world-class quality.
Arkansas stones are natural sharpening stones produced in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas, United States.
This raw material is called novaculite, a sedimentary rock composed of microcrystalline quartz, recognized as a type of chert that has recrystallized, and it consists of over 99 percent pure silica.
Novaculite is a sharpening stone that is almost nonexistent outside the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas, making it the finest polishing stone in the world.
**Grades of Arkansas Stones**
Soft Arkansas Stone (medium grit, specific gravity 2.25–2.30)
Hard Select Arkansas Stone (fine grit, specific gravity 2.30-2.45)
True Hard Arkansas Stone (extra fine grit, specific gravity 2.5 or higher)
Black Hard Arkansas Stone (extra fine grit, specific gravity 2.5 or higher)
Translucent Hard Arkansas Stone (extra fine grit, specific gravity 2.5 or higher)
Arkansas stones and novaculite are classified by specific gravity rather than grain size.