Hart-Arkansas (H) Wood Carving Substitute

Arkansas stones for use with oil or water.

Arkansas stones are relatively hard and largely retain their shape even after years of use. Working with Arkansas is more time-consuming, but high-gloss steel surfaces are achieved.
The most common Arkansas is the grey hard Arkansas (H). There is also the yellow soft Arkansas (S) and the rare black Arkansas, the so-called Königstein (K). Arkansas stones also come in a variety of shapes. In addition to irregular chunks and box stones, there are mainly multiform stones, hollow chiselled stones, stones with different edge profiles and round files. For sculptors, the sets of four small whetstones with different edge profiles have proven their worth.
Most whetstones can be used with either water or oil as a lubricant, but it should be noted that the user must choose one or the other. When working with oil, the rule is: once oil - always oil. Although oil is "smoother" to handle than water, it harbours the risk that traces of oil can get onto the workpiece and leave stains.