Break in of new stone?

A place to share, learn, & show off sharpening tips, tricks, techniques, & tools for sharpening edges of all kinds.
Post Reply
Art In Colorado
Posts: 62
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2009 12:20 am

Break in of new stone?

Post by Art In Colorado »

Have a new hard Arkansas Oil stone. Any break in required? Have not had a new stone in years and have never thought about it. Just curious!!
User avatar
FRJ
Posts: 15182
Joined: Fri May 14, 2010 1:43 pm
Location: Ct.

Re: Break in of new stone?

Post by FRJ »

Congratulations on the new stone, Art. How big is it?

I don't think any break in is required.
Since it's new, now is a chance to determine weather you want to use oil or water on your new stone.
I have used water for years but just thought I'd throw that out there.

That's a very hard stone so I assume you will use it to refine your already established edge.

Love to see folks using stones. ::tu::
Joe
User avatar
Steve Warden
Posts: 6320
Joined: Wed May 27, 2015 4:18 pm
Location: Cherry Hill, NJ

Re: Break in of new stone?

Post by Steve Warden »

I'm not a stone user so forgive my ignorance, but "breaking in" a stone?
Really? How and why?
Take care and God bless,

Steve
TSgt USAF, Retired
1980-2000

But any knife is better than no knife! ~ Mumbleypeg (aka Ken)
User avatar
Mumbleypeg
Gold Tier
Gold Tier
Posts: 13409
Joined: Fri Apr 18, 2014 1:28 am
Location: Republic of Texas

Re: Break in of new stone?

Post by Mumbleypeg »

I’ve used stones of various kinds (carborundum, Arkansas, etc) for sixty years. Never heard of “breaking in” one. Just use it. I do agree with Joe about deciding whether to use oil of water on it. I’m a fan of water myself. ::tu:: And keep it clean. There are posts here about how to clean stones.

Ken
Member AKTI, TSRA, NRA.

If your religion requires that you hate someone, you need a new religion.

When the people fear their government, that is tyranny. When government fears the people, that is freedom.

https://www.akti.org/
Art In Colorado
Posts: 62
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2009 12:20 am

Re: Break in of new stone?

Post by Art In Colorado »

FRJ wrote: Fri Jan 03, 2020 3:47 am Congratulations on the new stone, Art. How big is it?

I don't think any break in is required.
Since it's new, now is a chance to determine weather you want to use oil or water on your new stone.
I have used water for years but just thought I'd throw that out there.

That's a very hard stone so I assume you will use it to refine your already established edge.

Love to see folks using stones. ::tu::
It is 12" x2". Have several other stones so I wanted something longer. I have been sharpening knives on stones a very long time. Always used oil but I am going to try water. See how that works for me and yes I will be using it for established edges. I seem to never let my knives get to dull. Something to do with my O.C.D. I guess :D
User avatar
FRJ
Posts: 15182
Joined: Fri May 14, 2010 1:43 pm
Location: Ct.

Re: Break in of new stone?

Post by FRJ »

Having a big stone is a great advantage as you have stated. It's a luxury, really.
I always thought oil inhibited the removal of steel from the edge. That's why they use it in car engines.
I want the stone to abrade the steel to create the fine edge.

Do you use any water stones?
Joe
User avatar
TPK
Posts: 10111
Joined: Sun Mar 31, 2019 6:16 pm
Location: Bayern, Germany

Re: Break in of new stone?

Post by TPK »

::hmm:: If you used water on a new stone over a longer timeframe, and then you decided you would like to try it with oil, could you just change & start useing oil on it?

I'd guess from oil to water would not work because the oil would be in the stone but from water to oil should work because the water dries out of the stone. ::shrug::

Just curious. I have a new stone I have never used. I have never sharpend a knife. ::facepalm:: At least not yet. I would like to buy a book on knife sharpening but I'm not sure which one.

I know, I'm on the wrong thread for these questions. :roll: Sorry. :mrgreen:
TOM - KGFG - (Knife-Guy-From-Germany)

I believe..., every knife is a soul, looking for a soulmate. :wink:

Weebit-Nano https://www.weebit-nano.com/
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weebit_Nano

US - ARMY - COMBAT - ENGINEERS - 1990 - 1993 - God Bless Our Troops!
User avatar
Brumbydownunder
Posts: 450
Joined: Sun Dec 27, 2015 7:14 am
Location: Central NSW Australia

Re: Break in of new stone?

Post by Brumbydownunder »

Mumbleypeg wrote: Fri Jan 03, 2020 3:37 pm I’ve used stones of various kinds (carborundum, Arkansas, etc) for sixty years. Never heard of “breaking in” one. Just use it. I do agree with Joe about deciding whether to use oil of water on it. I’m a fan of water myself. ::tu:: And keep it clean. There are posts here about how to clean stones.

Ken
Ken I'd not heard of it either until I recently bought a new 3 x 10 Carborundum Stone - mainly for the older and larger knives I buy that need lots of work.

Anyway I was about to use it for the first time ... I spread some 3 in 1 oil on it and by the time I'd picked up the knife the oil was gone! Added more oil ..Gone! I'm in a very dry climate in Australia
That stone was soaking up oil as fast as I could apply it. I spoke with a Mate an old guy who does a lot of his own on-farm butchering he told me he 'primes' (his word) his new stone with Kerosene putting it in a low tray and completely submerges it with Kero for a few days. He repeats the process every now and then. He also uses Kerosene as his sharpening medium/liquid.

I've copied his system and it's working well.

Derek
"Belong Where The Moment Finds You"
User avatar
cudgee
Posts: 6187
Joined: Thu May 16, 2019 7:21 am
Location: Victoria. Australia.

Re: Break in of new stone?

Post by cudgee »

Brumbydownunder wrote: Fri Jan 03, 2020 9:47 pm
Mumbleypeg wrote: Fri Jan 03, 2020 3:37 pm I’ve used stones of various kinds (carborundum, Arkansas, etc) for sixty years. Never heard of “breaking in” one. Just use it. I do agree with Joe about deciding whether to use oil of water on it. I’m a fan of water myself. ::tu:: And keep it clean. There are posts here about how to clean stones.

Ken
Ken I'd not heard of it either until I recently bought a new 3 x 10 Carborundum Stone - mainly for the older and larger knives I buy that need lots of work.

Anyway I was about to use it for the first time ... I spread some 3 in 1 oil on it and by the time I'd picked up the knife the oil was gone! Added more oil ..Gone! I'm in a very dry climate in Australia
That stone was soaking up oil as fast as I could apply it. I spoke with a Mate an old guy who does a lot of his own on-farm butchering he told me he 'primes' (his word) his new stone with Kerosene putting it in a low tray and completely submerges it with Kero for a few days. He repeats the process every now and then. He also uses Kerosene as his sharpening medium/liquid.

I've copied his system and it's working well.

Derek
G,day mate, hope you are safe from the fires. I have done the same thing as an experiment, only i keep a stone submerged in an oil bath all the time. Just keep it in a sealed plastic lunch box, can be a bit messy, but works really well. I like the kero idea though, might give it a try on my next stone. ::tu::
User avatar
Mumbleypeg
Gold Tier
Gold Tier
Posts: 13409
Joined: Fri Apr 18, 2014 1:28 am
Location: Republic of Texas

Re: Break in of new stone?

Post by Mumbleypeg »

Interesting. It’s been years since I bought a new stone. Maybe they’ve changed. ::shrug:: Used stones are plentiful and cheap so even if I needed another one I doubt it would be a never used new one.

Ken
Member AKTI, TSRA, NRA.

If your religion requires that you hate someone, you need a new religion.

When the people fear their government, that is tyranny. When government fears the people, that is freedom.

https://www.akti.org/
User avatar
Colonel26
Bronze Tier
Bronze Tier
Posts: 10323
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2012 3:35 am
Location: Kentucky

Re: Break in of new stone?

Post by Colonel26 »

Brumbydownunder wrote: Fri Jan 03, 2020 9:47 pm
Mumbleypeg wrote: Fri Jan 03, 2020 3:37 pm I’ve used stones of various kinds (carborundum, Arkansas, etc) for sixty years. Never heard of “breaking in” one. Just use it. I do agree with Joe about deciding whether to use oil of water on it. I’m a fan of water myself. ::tu:: And keep it clean. There are posts here about how to clean stones.

Ken
Ken I'd not heard of it either until I recently bought a new 3 x 10 Carborundum Stone - mainly for the older and larger knives I buy that need lots of work.

Anyway I was about to use it for the first time ... I spread some 3 in 1 oil on it and by the time I'd picked up the knife the oil was gone! Added more oil ..Gone! I'm in a very dry climate in Australia
That stone was soaking up oil as fast as I could apply it. I spoke with a Mate an old guy who does a lot of his own on-farm butchering he told me he 'primes' (his word) his new stone with Kerosene putting it in a low tray and completely submerges it with Kero for a few days. He repeats the process every now and then. He also uses Kerosene as his sharpening medium/liquid.

I've copied his system and it's working well.

Derek
I’ve know of machinists keeping their polishing stones in kerosene, makes sense. I started using water a couple of years ago though. I like it a lot better than oil.

These days I’ve transitioned to diamond hones mainly. I still use some water on them.
“There are things in the old Book which I may not be able to explain, but I fully accept it as the infallible word of God, and receive its teachings as inspired by the Holy Spirit.”
Robert E. Lee
mrwatch
Posts: 1453
Joined: Mon Oct 01, 2007 4:58 pm
Location: michigan

Re: Break in of new stone?

Post by mrwatch »

My first day in watchmakers school. The teacher placed us with jewelers lathes and did a quick run, and said that is all I know about these. ::skeptic:: He handed us a new lathe tool and oil stone and said this is dull. Held it in his hand and barely rubbed the end of the tool back and forth on the stone and walked away. It was all down hill from their. ::teary_eyes:: And yes we even put the stone in a ultra sonic cleaner to clean it.
User avatar
Dinadan
Silver Tier
Silver Tier
Posts: 2994
Joined: Sat Dec 29, 2012 2:34 am
Location: Coastal Alabama

Re: Break in of new stone?

Post by Dinadan »

I have never heard of anyone breaking in a new stone. Now, I have broken a couple or three by dropping them on concrete.
TPK wrote: Fri Jan 03, 2020 7:39 pm ::hmm:: If you used water on a new stone over a longer timeframe, and then you decided you would like to try it with oil, could you just change & start useing oil on it?

I'd guess from oil to water would not work because the oil would be in the stone but from water to oil should work because the water dries out of the stone. ::shrug::

Just curious. I have a new stone I have never used. I have never sharpend a knife. ::facepalm:: At least not yet. I would like to buy a book on knife sharpening but I'm not sure which one.

I know, I'm on the wrong thread for these questions. :roll: Sorry. :mrgreen:
Too bad you are in Germany. If you were here in Alabama you would not need to bother with a book: just find some old fellow wearing overalls and with a chaw of baccy in his mouth, and get him to show you how to sharpen.

Seriously, you are making it harder than it needs to be. Just look at a couple of threads on this forum about sharpening, then grab a stone and a beat up knife and start trying. It really is not rocket science, and if you get it wrong a few times before you actually get a knife sharp ... what does it matter as long as the knife is not some collectible, or the one you use to cut a chaw?
Mel
User avatar
Mumbleypeg
Gold Tier
Gold Tier
Posts: 13409
Joined: Fri Apr 18, 2014 1:28 am
Location: Republic of Texas

Re: Break in of new stone?

Post by Mumbleypeg »

TPK wrote: Fri Jan 03, 2020 7:39 pm ::hmm:: If you used water on a new stone over a longer timeframe, and then you decided you would like to try it with oil, could you just change & start useing oil on it?

I'd guess from oil to water would not work because the oil would be in the stone but from water to oil should work because the water dries out of the stone. ::shrug::
I probably don’t know any better, but I switched from oil to water and did not change stones. I just cleaned the stone (carborundum) using warm soapy water and a stiff brush and rinsed it thoroughly when done. Then started using water. Whether oil or water, the purpose of the liquid is to float, or wash away, the “slurry” which is the small metal particles removed from the blade during the sharpening process. Without any liquid those metal particles clog the pores in the stone, after which it doesn’t sharpen well.

As Mel mentioned, there are several good posts here with tips about sharpening. But the best way to learn is from an experienced “old-timer”. In Germany you may have a hard time finding any chewing tobacco and wearing bib overalls, but I guarantee there are some guys that know how to sharpen a knife using a stone! I met one myself several years ago in a small town “im Schwartzwald” (the Black Forest). We were staying at the rural “Gasthoff Tallblick” owned by him and his wife. We had a great time sharpening our knives (and drinking bier). :lol:

Ken
Member AKTI, TSRA, NRA.

If your religion requires that you hate someone, you need a new religion.

When the people fear their government, that is tyranny. When government fears the people, that is freedom.

https://www.akti.org/
User avatar
Colonel26
Bronze Tier
Bronze Tier
Posts: 10323
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2012 3:35 am
Location: Kentucky

Re: Break in of new stone?

Post by Colonel26 »

Mumbleypeg wrote: Sat Jan 04, 2020 5:43 pm
TPK wrote: Fri Jan 03, 2020 7:39 pm ::hmm:: If you used water on a new stone over a longer timeframe, and then you decided you would like to try it with oil, could you just change & start useing oil on it?

I'd guess from oil to water would not work because the oil would be in the stone but from water to oil should work because the water dries out of the stone. ::shrug::
I probably don’t know any better, but I switched from oil to water and did not change stones. I just cleaned the stone (carborundum) using warm soapy water and a stiff brush and rinsed it thoroughly when done. Then started using water. Whether oil or water, the purpose of the liquid is to float, or wash away, the “slurry” which is the small metal particles removed from the blade during the sharpening process. Without any liquid those metal particles clog the pores in the stone, after which it doesn’t sharpen well.

As Mel mentioned, there are several good posts here with tips about sharpening. But the best way to learn is from an experienced “old-timer”. In Germany you may have a hard time finding any chewing tobacco and wearing bib overalls, but I guarantee there are some guys that know how to sharpen a knife using a stone! I met one myself several years ago in a small town “im Schwartzwald” (the Black Forest). We were staying at the rural “Gasthoff Tallblick” owned by him and his wife. We had a great time sharpening our knives (and drinking bier). :lol:

Ken
I did the same when I switched Ken.
“There are things in the old Book which I may not be able to explain, but I fully accept it as the infallible word of God, and receive its teachings as inspired by the Holy Spirit.”
Robert E. Lee
User avatar
FRJ
Posts: 15182
Joined: Fri May 14, 2010 1:43 pm
Location: Ct.

Re: Break in of new stone?

Post by FRJ »

I switched from oil to water on some of my stones. ........... Water, the worlds greatest solvent! ::nod::
Joe
User avatar
TPK
Posts: 10111
Joined: Sun Mar 31, 2019 6:16 pm
Location: Bayern, Germany

Re: Break in of new stone?

Post by TPK »

Mumbleypeg wrote: Sat Jan 04, 2020 5:43 pm
TPK wrote: Fri Jan 03, 2020 7:39 pm ::hmm:: If you used water on a new stone over a longer timeframe, and then you decided you would like to try it with oil, could you just change & start useing oil on it?

I'd guess from oil to water would not work because the oil would be in the stone but from water to oil should work because the water dries out of the stone. ::shrug::
I probably don’t know any better, but I switched from oil to water and did not change stones. I just cleaned the stone (carborundum) using warm soapy water and a stiff brush and rinsed it thoroughly when done. Then started using water. Whether oil or water, the purpose of the liquid is to float, or wash away, the “slurry” which is the small metal particles removed from the blade during the sharpening process. Without any liquid those metal particles clog the pores in the stone, after which it doesn’t sharpen well.

As Mel mentioned, there are several good posts here with tips about sharpening. But the best way to learn is from an experienced “old-timer”. In Germany you may have a hard time finding any chewing tobacco and wearing bib overalls, but I guarantee there are some guys that know how to sharpen a knife using a stone! I met one myself several years ago in a small town “im Schwartzwald” (the Black Forest). We were staying at the rural “Gasthoff Tallblick” owned by him and his wife. We had a great time sharpening our knives (and drinking bier). :lol:

Ken
This is a public forum Ken. ::super_happy:: Shouldn't you say, don't try this at home. Sharpening knives & drinking beer. LOL! ::super_happy::
I'm gonna read around here some more & then probably buy a book about it. ::tu::
Thanks for your thoughts & feedback. ::handshake::

Tom
TOM - KGFG - (Knife-Guy-From-Germany)

I believe..., every knife is a soul, looking for a soulmate. :wink:

Weebit-Nano https://www.weebit-nano.com/
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weebit_Nano

US - ARMY - COMBAT - ENGINEERS - 1990 - 1993 - God Bless Our Troops!
User avatar
Dinadan
Silver Tier
Silver Tier
Posts: 2994
Joined: Sat Dec 29, 2012 2:34 am
Location: Coastal Alabama

Re: Break in of new stone?

Post by Dinadan »

We are getting off topic here ... but I just happen to know that beer works just as good as water on a sharpening stone. So if a man were to be sitting on his back porch drinking a beer and decided to sharpen up his knife ... no need to go get some water or oil. I do keep a couple of Band-Aids in my wallet!
Mel
User avatar
Mumbleypeg
Gold Tier
Gold Tier
Posts: 13409
Joined: Fri Apr 18, 2014 1:28 am
Location: Republic of Texas

Re: Break in of new stone?

Post by Mumbleypeg »

Dinadan wrote: Sat Jan 04, 2020 10:32 pm We are getting off topic here ... but I just happen to know that beer works just as good as water on a sharpening stone. So if a man were to be sitting on his back porch drinking a beer and decided to sharpen up his knife ... no need to go get some water or oil. I do keep a couple of Band-Aids in my wallet!
I might use light beer for sharpening - it’s sure not any good for drinking! ::sotb::

Ken
Member AKTI, TSRA, NRA.

If your religion requires that you hate someone, you need a new religion.

When the people fear their government, that is tyranny. When government fears the people, that is freedom.

https://www.akti.org/
User avatar
cudgee
Posts: 6187
Joined: Thu May 16, 2019 7:21 am
Location: Victoria. Australia.

Re: Break in of new stone?

Post by cudgee »

Mumbleypeg wrote: Sun Jan 05, 2020 2:41 am
Dinadan wrote: Sat Jan 04, 2020 10:32 pm We are getting off topic here ... but I just happen to know that beer works just as good as water on a sharpening stone. So if a man were to be sitting on his back porch drinking a beer and decided to sharpen up his knife ... no need to go get some water or oil. I do keep a couple of Band-Aids in my wallet!
I might use light beer for sharpening - it’s sure not any good for drinking! ::sotb::

Ken
:lol: :lol: :lol: ::tu:: ::tu:: ::tu::
Post Reply

Return to “Sharpening Forum”