How do I tell if a stone is water or oil. I have a couple of Alum. oxide stones in boxes that don’t say and a couple of Henry Taylor slipstones that don’e either. Thanks
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Aluminum oxide stones, the Henry Taylor stones are aluminum oxide also, are usually used with oil.
Aluminum oxide stones, if they have never been used with oil, can also be used with water. Many times the stones will come from the factory with oil already applied, and in that case using them with water isn't an option. If you aren't sure if the stones have oil in them, pour a spoon of water on the stones, if there is oil in the stone, the water will bead up on the stone's surface.
If the stones are oil free, you can try them with water first and then switch over to oil later after they have had a chance to fully dry out. The main advantage to using water is that it is less messy.
The best, and least expensive, oil is ordinary light mineral oil from a drug store. All of the brand name sharpening oils are just repackaged mineral oil with the price jacked up.
John White
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