The Washita Thread

[77kath]

Progress report: Everyone seems to be leaning towards using it as an oil stone, so I tried mineral oil on the discolored side to work on the Opinel. I can testify that it cuts much better, though I didn’t quite get cutting-paper sharpness.

 

[77kath]

Nice stone, as many mentioned if it isn't already oiled up I don't see why you couldn't use it with water, IDK if it is recommended but I always like using slurries via a diamond nagura. You could use your late grandfathers razor as a leg shaver, just make sure your not hung over, also remember to strop. Let us know how it goes.

It would take a braver woman than I am, hung over or not, to use the razor. Think I will stick with the stone, thanks!

 

[cotedupy]

Progress report: Everyone seems to be leaning towards using it as an oil stone, so I tried mineral oil on the discolored side to work on the Opinel. I can testify that it cuts much better, though I didn’t quite get cutting-paper sharpness.
View attachment 139733View attachment 139734

This has absolutely been my experience with Washitas and other novaculite ‘oilstones’ too. As well as oil cleaning them better they also seem to cut better and work faster with oil.

Really nice thing to have! I was always slightly jealous of people in the US who had old stones belonging to their parents and grandparents, as I knew I’d never get anything like that...

Until the other day when my dad back in the UK went through one of my grandfather’s sheds and found this . Looks to be a slate of some kind. Probably Welsh I imagine.

 

[77kath]

It‘s a good feeling, using something Grandad used.

 

[coxhaus]

I hope my grandkids think the same way.

 

[Desert Rat]

I inherited this stone, which was in the same box as my grandfather’s straight razor. I soaked it in water and lapped both sides. One side has a ridge; the other is smooth. I’m not an experienced sharpener, but it put a good edge on a Sabatier stainless paring knife. It seems discolored on the ridged side. Can it be converted to a water stone for kitchen knives? I’m the wrong gender for a straight razor.
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Here is the instructions that came with some Smith's Washita's recommending a light oil or water.
I use both with mine but I like my water with dish soap added. The stones I use with water show no more loading than those with oil, probably because I wash them off under the faucet after use.

 

[77kath]

That’s useful. Thanks. Neat little case!

 

[captaincaed]

Dan's makes a honing oil for stones a bit thinner than mineral oil. Not too pricey either!
https://hardwickandsons.com/products/dans-honing-oil-3-oz

 

[captaincaed]

My favorite hardware store ever. Sadly priced out of the big city when Amazon moved out. Now looking for a reason to drive to Idaho for their new spot. If any of you tool nuts make it to Idaho, this is where I got all my old Arks. Plus they have everything, in every style, and 14 versions of each new and used. Miss them so much. It's like someone dumped out Ebay into a store.

 

[77kath]

This is dangerous information

 

[Desert Rat]

That’s useful. Thanks. Neat little case!

It's not mine just a picture I sniped off the net.

I can approximate oil by adjusting the amount of soap or just add dish soap directly to the stone and then add water with a small spray bottle. I'm not saying it is as good as oil but it's pretty user friendly especially since I like to hone in hand. Everything stays pretty clean too! I use oil on my stones out in the shop, it's just better than water in that environment and keeps my tools well oiled which prevents rust.

 

[Desert Rat]

My favorite hardware store ever. Sadly priced out of the big city when Amazon moved out. Now looking for a reason to drive to Idaho for their new spot. If any of you tool nuts make it to Idaho, this is where I got all my old Arks. Plus they have everything, in every style, and 14 versions of each new and used. Miss them so much. It's like someone dumped out Ebay into a store.

I love places like that, sadly they are extinct in southern Idaho. I don't make it that far north much anymore but I will keep them in mind should go up that way.

 

[captaincaed]

I love places like that, sadly they are extinct in southern Idaho. I don't make it that far north much anymore but I will keep them in mind should go up that way.

They have a decent online selection, but the real gems are all in person. Used stuff priced very reasonably for a store. Like an every day swap meet.

Favorite pickups were a Zyliss vise, saws, stones obviously. Also great knowledge of how to fit a tool to a job. The staff saved me money steering me away from the WRONG tool.

 

[77kath]

It's not mine just a picture I sniped off the net.

I can approximate oil by adjusting the amount of soap or just add dish soap directly to the stone and then add water with a small spray bottle. I'm not saying it is as good as oil but it's pretty user friendly especially since I like to hone in hand. Everything stays pretty clean too! I use oil on my stones out in the shop, it's just better than water in that environment and keeps my tools well oiled which prevents rust.

Good information

 

[cotedupy]

Pike LW 8x2 arrived for me today. This one I will be using - it's the reason I was happy to have the other LW left pristine.

Currently in for a bit of degreasing having steamed the label off. Kiridashi coming into its own for this one

Here with my other two. The new Pike is a bit denser at 2.40, the Norton is 2.32, and the unlabelled one on top almost identical at 2.33.

 

[Desert Rat]

Pike LW 8x2 arrived for me today. This one I will be using - it's the reason I was happy to have the other LW left pristine.

View attachment 140026

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Currently in for a bit of degreasing having steamed the label off. Kiridashi coming into its own for this one

View attachment 140029

Here with my other two. The new Pike is a bit denser at 2.40, the Norton is 2.32, and the unlabelled one on top almost identical at 2.33.

View attachment 140027

Have you cleaned your new LWW? Just curious if it has turned white.

 

[cotedupy]

Have you cleaned your new LWW? Just curious if it has turned white.

Good question... I have, and it didn't. Which slightly surprised me.

Every other old oilstone that I've left in degreaser for a day or so, has at least changed colour on the surface, even if it needed repeated soaks to get out of the middle. I had this in SG for maybe 48hrs total and the colour didn't budge. It just doesn't have dirt on the surface anymore.

I asked about this over on B&B and a couple of the experts there said they had occasionally seen this kind of translucent 'butterscotch' type Washita, which was something I'd only heard about with regards to hard Arks before.

Was there something about it that made you think it might not go white...?

 

[cotedupy]

In case anyone's interested I did a little comparison of how two Washitas at different ends of the scale compare. The one above - 2.45 sg, next to one at 2.08.

https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/a-tale-of-two-washitas.613380/

 

[Bear]

Can you get a good idea of hardness from color?

This is on its way

 

[gordyt]

Greetings Folks,

I'm a new member (as of today). The two stones on the left are Washitas. I bought the Leichtung about a year ago from Ebay. It's a great stone and sharpens pretty fast for an Arkansas stone. I got the one on the bottom left from an overseas Etsy seller. It is supposed to be a Washita but doesn't seem to be as fast as the first one.

The stones on the right are all from Dans. From top-to-bottom: soft, hard, black.

I use a mixture of:

- 1 part food-grade mineral oil
- 4 parts water
- about 1/2 part Dawn dish soap...just enough to keep everything mixed.

-- gordon

 

[stringer]

Greetings Folks,

I'm a new member (as of today). The two stones on the left are Washitas. I bought the Leichtung about a year ago from Ebay. It's a great stone and sharpens pretty fast for an Arkansas stone. I got the one on the bottom left from an overseas Etsy seller. It is supposed to be a Washita but doesn't seem to be as fast as the first one.

The stones on the right are all from Dans. From top-to-bottom: soft, hard, black.

I use a mixture of:

- 1 part food-grade mineral oil
- 4 parts water
- about 1/2 part Dawn dish soap...just enough to keep everything mixed.

-- gordon

Welcome aboard

The one on the bottom left certainly looks like what I'm familiar with being Washita. I am not familiar with Leichtung. But that stone doesn't look like other washitas I have seen. They generally range from very white to sort of brown\tan mottled like the one you have there (especially if they have been used with oil). I'm not used to seeing that blue color or stripes. Doesn't mean it isn't washita, but that bottom one is more like what they usually look like.

 

[captaincaed]

Howdy, welcome to the small Arkansas corner of the forum

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

Greetings Folks,

I'm a new member (as of today). The two stones on the left are Washitas. I bought the Leichtung about a year ago from Ebay. It's a great stone and sharpens pretty fast for an Arkansas stone. I got the one on the bottom left from an overseas Etsy seller. It is supposed to be a Washita but doesn't seem to be as fast as the first one.

The stones on the right are all from Dans. From top-to-bottom: soft, hard, black.

I use a mixture of:

- 1 part food-grade mineral oil
- 4 parts water
- about 1/2 part Dawn dish soap...just enough to keep everything mixed.

-- gordon

Welcome.

As @stringer said, my experience is stones of that color are typically graded as soft and not Washita. I've never seen one like that but it still looks like a really cool stone!

 

[stringer]

So I did a little hunting. Still can't find much of anything on Leichtung. Washita is a pretty vague term that gets used to describe a lot of different soft novaculite stones. Really all you can do is see how it works for you. Vintage washitas are highly desirable because they can be used to do lots of different types of sharpening tasks. They can do the work of coarse and mid range synthetic stones but leave less of a burr and create a nice stable edge very quickly. They work ok with water but great with mineral oil or a hybrid like you mention. Soft Arks are on the same continuum and the nomenclature is completely random across different times and spaces. But use it and see what it does for you. And compare it to the other one because that definitely looks like a classic vintage washita to me.

 

[gordyt]

I've never seen one like that but it still looks like a really cool stone!

Thanks HHC! I completely agree about the unusual coloration on that top-left stone. It does seem off for a Washita.

I sure have enjoyed using all of them. It's a way different experience sharpening with Arkansas stones than, say, with Japanese whetstones (which I also like).

My wife tells me that it is my personal form of meditation or relaxation, and I cannot disagree.

Glad to be on the forums!

-- gordon

 

[gordyt]

So I did a little hunting. Still can't find much of anything on Leichtung

@stringer I could not either. I don't know if you would find this interesting or not, but the following is a scan of the paperwork that came with the stone.

 

[stringer]

@stringer I could not either. I don't know if you would find this interesting or not, but the following is a scan of the paperwork that came with the stone.

That's really neat. Thanks for sharing.

 

[gordyt]

You bet! I took a chance on that one because of the documentation, the nice wooden box, and the condition of the stone.

I sure wish I could talk Dan into parting with one of his secret stash of Washitas!

----

Disclaimer: I don't actually *know* that Dan has a secret stash of Washitas

 

[stringer]

You bet! I took a chance on that one because of the documentation, the nice wooden box, and the condition of the stone.

I sure wish I could talk Dan into parting with one of his secret stash of Washitas!

----

Disclaimer: I don't actually *know* that Dan has a secret stash of Washitas

You have a very nice collection there. I wish I had full size bench stones like that. Most of my arks are smaller.

 

[Rangen]

So I did a little hunting. Still can't find much of anything on Leichtung.

I could swear that I used to buy woodworking stuff from a business called Leichtung Workshops, back a long time ago when I used to do woodworking.