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Thank
you for considering Hall's Proedge Sharpeners for
your sharpening needs. Our company offers a variety
of stones featuring many of the largest sizes ever
sold in the world.
We're
confident that you'll find sharpening with our
stones efficient, and extremely helpful in putting
that perfect edge on your knife blades. Before
purchasing your stone, we ask you to take a few
minutes to read the information provided below.
We've listed a few of our customer's most frequently
asked questions. We've answered the questions in an
effort to provide you with some basic information
that should help you with your purchase plans before
you even pick up the phone!
Frequently Asked
Questions
With
so many choices of stone companies in the
marketplace, why buy from Hall's Proedge?
What is the grit size for each grade
of Arkansas Stones?
Oil or Water? Which should I
use to lubricate the stones with, and does it
matter?
What causes the color in Novaculite
and will it affect the honing process?
What are seconds, and will they
affect the honing process?
Can I buy something that I do not
see in your catalog or on the web site (i.e. a
special cut stone size or a stone combination not
shown?)
How can I contact your specialist
for any other questions that may arise or to place a
special custom sized stone order?
What if I don't trust giving my
credit card information out over the internet?
What is an Oil Stone?
Future
Questions coming soon.
Future
Questions coming soon.
Future
Questions coming soon.
Future
Questions coming soon.
| Q: |
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With so
many choices of stone companies in the
marketplace, why buy from Hall's Proedge?
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| A: |
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One
phone call does it all at Hall's Proedge.
You'll receive information, assistance, and
recommendations - all provided with Hall's
signature level of excellent service. Hall's
prides itself on
providing its customers
with offering the very best stones
available. Therefore, you
can be secure in the knowledge that you are
purchasing the very highest quality of sharpening
stones. In addition, you
will deal with experienced, sharpening
specialists who will answer your questions
with confidence and who will put you at ease
in making your choice of stones to
purchase. Our stones
offer the very best value for money, with
special offers and buys
that are available only to Hall's
customers.
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| Q: |
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What is
the grit size for each grade of Arkansas
Stones?
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| A: |
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Arkansas
Novaculite stones are measured by specific
gravity and not the size of the grain, or
structures, in the stone. The grain of the
silica crystals that form Novaculite are
essentially the same size, 3-5 microns,
whether the stone is classified as Soft Arkansas
or Hard Arkansas.
Using Specific Gravity Testing, we measure
the density of the stone, that is the
compactness of the grains bonded together.
Actually, the harder stones then would have
more grains than softer stones. This type of
measurement makes it difficult to compare
the Arkansas
grades with grit sizes of manmade stones.
Grit measurement standards for traditional
manmade stones vary internationally. By U.S.
grit standards, Novaculite most closely
relates to 600-1000 grit sizes.
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| Q: |
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Oil
or Water? Which should I use to
lubricate the stones with and does it
matter?
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| A: |
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We
recommend using a light based oil to
lubricate the stones. Honing
Oil,
a light mineral or petroleum oil, should be
used during the honing process. You can use
water, but the honing oil should then be
used to clean the stones. Honing Oil does
more than serve as a lubricant. Honing Oil
suspends the steel shavings and prevents
them from clogging the pores of the
whetstone. Whetstones should be cleaned
after use by rubbing a liberal amount of
Honing oil on the stone and wiping the
excess away with a clean cloth. You
may also clean the stone by placing it in a
dish washer to help clean it up. Do
not use a Cooking Oil, for it can clog the
pores in the stone and ruin it from
sharpening knives.
Also
see Honing Oil
Suggestions.
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| Q: |
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What
causes the color in Novaculite and will it
affect the honing process?
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| A: |
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The
color in the stones does not impede the
honing process. During sedimentation and
subsequent geologic events over the last 300
million years, various minerals were
dispersed through the
rock and colored the stone, for
instance the rust red color in Soft Arkansas
stone's is most likely caused by Manganese.
These colors do not impede the honing
process or make the grade of the stone
inconsistent. Novaculite is 99.898%
pure silica with only trace amounts of other
substances (Aluminum, 0.02%; Boron, 0.0005%;
Calcium, 0.03%; Magnesium, 0.05%; and Manganese,
0.0007%).
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What
are seconds, and will it affect the honing
process?
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| A: |
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As
part of our production process, stones that
have nicks, chipped corners, quartz lines,
color discoloration and etc. are graded out
of the 1st quality stones. We call
these stones Seconds. They are offered
at a reduced price because of the look of
the stone, even though there is no
difference in the sharpening ability of the
stone.
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| Q: |
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What if
I don't trust giving my credit card
information out over the internet?
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| A: |
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You may place the order
on our secured order form as a C.O.D. order
and leave a note in the comment box for us
to give you a call with your telephone
number and a time to call, and we will call
you back to receive your credit card info at
the time you specified. You may also
call us at (501) 525-8595 between the hours of 8 - 4:30
(CMT).
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| Q: |
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What
is an Oil Stone?
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Novaculite
is a silica rock comprised of very pure and
compact granularity, which refuses to
"hollow out" like most artificial
sharpening devices do. The Novaculite will
actually polish the metal as it sharpens it.
However, in its native formation, the stone
is fragile until cut and lapped; therefore,
it must be carefully mined by hand after
small amounts of black powder loosen it,
exploded in very low density explosions.
Hall's
has been commercially mining Novaculite for
over 30 years. The rock is mined around the
famous Hot Springs, Arkansas in the Ouachita
Mountains. The only place in the world where
350 million-year-old deposits of Novaculite
have been commercially mined since the early
1800's. Before that, the Indians had used
the stone as tools and weapons after which
pioneers in the area realized the stone's
value as a sharpening device for metal
blades.
We carefully mine and then
individually cut Hall's Whetstones and lap
all six sides by hand.
The stone's are then cleaned and all dirt is
removed from the stones pores and then
dried, so the stone will not mildew. Hall's
stones are unequaled in their craftsmanship
and precision cutting by diamond saws and
hand finishing. Sportsmen, Craftsmen, and
Industries throughout the world use them for
honing and finishing knives, surgical
instruments, tools, watch parts, and similar
precision products.
Also see more information on Novaculite
stone on the Arkansas Geological Commission
web site by clicking
here.
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Know
Before You Buy
No
matter what you're buying, it's important to learn
basic information about your stone so you'll know
what to expect. By educating yourself about your
stone, you can be prepared and not be surprised by
details that could mean the difference between an
unpleasant experience and a pleasant one.
All
images and content © Copyright 1998 - 2007 Hall's
Arkansas Oilstones, Inc. |
