new old stone

[bridger berdel]

I get that the india stones are intended to be used with oil. Lately I've been trending away from oil. I still occasionally use it on the non-porous stones like the translucent arks or jaspers, but mostly I use isopropyl. Just curious how india stones behave with non oil fluids. I have a small one somewhere- I'll have to dig it out and give it a try

[Tony Zaffuto]

Not sure, but their honing oil is just mineral oil.

Their new honing oil may be mineral oil but the can of vintage seems different. I may have to do a taste test tonight! In all seriousness, this may again become something to add to my testing list: testing viscosity of various honing oils/mediums!

[David Weaver]

Tony, did the vintage pike have a bit of a dry-ish feeling to it? Like not so slippery when grabbing tools? The norton oil is 100% mineral oil, but it does have a slightly different feel than the food safe light mineral oil that I buy. If someone would've figured out the ideal type of mineral oil or mineral oil with additives, it would probably have been pike. They had pretty much the best of everything when they were in full swing (great arks, great coticules, great washitas, ...).

[Tony Zaffuto]

Tony, did the vintage pike have a bit of a dry-ish feeling to it? Like not so slippery when grabbing tools? The norton oil is 100% mineral oil, but it does have a slightly different feel than the food safe light mineral oil that I buy. If someone would've figured out the ideal type of mineral oil or mineral oil with additives, it would probably have been pike. They had pretty much the best of everything when they were in full swing (great arks, great coticules, great washitas, ...).

Had similar clear color (surprised by this because the can is old) and felt/worked as if thicker, though it came out of the can the same as modern Norton oil. Won't be home & into my shop until Thursday sometime, and at that time, I'll have to look to see if there is any patent date or other info that may give a hint at contents.

I will add, it would not replace my use of Marvel Mystery Oil, which still seems the best to me, for my particular washita & arkansas stones (I'm not ready to stray from those two, by adding the fine india or a coarser crystalon into the mix.

If I do anything, it may center around an ultra-fine ceramic, such as the Spyderco I already have, but refined as flat as possible and used for a few licks as a strop would.