? ? Common Questions ? ?
Dan's Whetstone Company understands that
some purchases can be confusing. To show our concern for our customers,
Dan's Whetstone Company has taken the time to make and provide you with a list
of the most common questions we are asked. Because Dan's Whetstone Company takes
pride in ensuring that we match the
grade, classification, quality, and
price of the stone to the individual customer's need please contact us if you
need further assistance.
1. What is the grit size for each
grade of Arkansas Stone?
Arkansas Novaculite stones are classified by specific
gravity and not the size of the grain. 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 True Hard Arkansas.
Using Specific Gravity Testing, Dan's Whetstone Company measures the density of their
stones, that is the
compactness of the grains bonded together. Therefore the harder stones would
then have more grains than the softer stones. Since the grit size of
Arkansas Novaculite does not widely vary, it is difficult to compare it with the
grit sizes of
man-made stones.
Grit
measurement standards for traditional man-made stones vary internationally.
By
U.S. grit standards, genuine Novaculite most closely relates to the 600-1200 grit
size.
2. Do I need to lubricate my whetstones?
What should I use?
Dan's recommends that you use honing oil, a light mineral oil, to lubricate your
stones during the honing
process. Honing oil does more than serve as a lubricant, it also suspends the
steel shavings from your knife and prevents them from clogging the pores of your whetstone.
Whetstones should be cleaned after each use by rubbing a liberal amount of honing oil
onto the stone and then wiping the excess honing oil away with a clean cloth.
3. What causes the color in
Novaculite and will it affect the honing process?
To our knowledge in all known applications the color in our stones do not impede the honing
process or make the grade of
the stone inconsistent. During sedimentation and subsequent geologic events over the last 300
million years, various minerals were dispersed throughout the rock causing the
color variations in our stones. For instance, the rust red color in True Hard stone is most likely caused
by trace amounts of Manganese. Customers should also be aware that color is not
the determining factor in grading Novaculite. 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%).
4. Is it true? Someone told
me that you can't get genuine Black Arkansas Novaculite Stones anymore?
Dan's Whetstone Company can say with a great amount of confidence that this is a
false statement. Deposits of Novaculite are found in
the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas with whetstone grade concentrations being
located in Garland and surrounding counties. For more information
regarding Novaculite please read our page Novaculite
101.
5. Is it safe to order
on-line? Can someone steal my credit card information?
Dan's Whetstone Company has a secure
on-line ordering system, we take every precaution to protect our user's
information. When users submit sensitive information via the website, your
information is protected both online and off-line. (Dan's does not sell
their mailing lists) When you click on the
check out button you are automatically transferred to a secure site. When
our order form asks users to enter sensitive information (such as credit card
number), that information is encrypted and protected. While on a secure
page, such as our order form, a lock icon on the bottom or top of some Web
browsers becomes locked, as opposed to un-locked, or open, when you are just
‘surfing’. Another way to tell if you are on a secure page is to look
at the URL (you can look in the address box or right-click on the page and
select Properties to see URL). Secure URLs start with https:// instead of
http://. If you still do not feel comfortable ordering a product on-line
we will gladly accept your order through our fax line, by phone, or in person.
6. How can I contact
Dan's Whetstone Company?
If you have any other questions about natural Arkansas Whetstones or our
Beverage Buddies Sandstone Coasters, please do not
hesitate to contact Dan's Whetstone Company, Inc.
Telephone
Postal address
1-501-767-1616
Dan's Whetstone Company, Inc.
FAX
418 Hilltop Road
1-501-767-9598
Pearcy, AR 71964
USA
Electronic mail
We are here to help if you need any assistance
or have questions please e-mail us.
Customer Service: questions@danswhetstone.com
Webmaster: julesm@danswhetstone.com
