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The resources for the
production of natural Arkansas novaculite suitable for whetstone production
have been de-pleated.
Dan's Whetstone Company, Inc. owns and
controls several quarries that will supply us with 100% natural novaculite
rock for the next four generations or longer according to current reserve
projections. |
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Natural Arkansas
novaculite whetstones are no longer being produced.
Dan's Whetstone Company is a family owned business that has been
producing natural Arkansas novaculite whetstones since 1976. Our
intentions are to continue the production for generations to come. |
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Genuine black Arkansas
novaculite stones are no longer available.
Dan's Whetstone Company was founded based on the production of the black
Arkansas novaculite and has continually produced this classification of
stone since 1976. |
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All Arkansas whetstones
are genuine novaculite.
There are some black Arkansas stones being
produced by other companies that are not genuine novaculite. |
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The color of the stone indicates
grade.
The variations of colors can be found within the different grades of
stone. Color alone does not determine the grade or classification of
the stone. |
| Color affects the honing process.
To the best of our knowledge in all known applications the color in our stones do not impede the honing
process. |
| Large stones, such as the
traditional bench stones, are no longer available.
Dan's Whetstone Company has always maintained a selection of large and
specially sized stones for its customers. If you do not see a stone
size that you need in our shopping cart please contact us for availability. |
The History of Novaculite
Novaculite is a sedimentary rock composed of microcrystalline quartz, it is
also recognized as a re-crystallized variety of chert. It is a high-purity silica,
composed of more
than 99 percent pure silica. The name is applied mainly to formations in
Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas and is derived from the Latin word novacula,
meaning razor stone. Novaculite is the rarest and finest abrasive stone in
existence.
Found in depths of 250 to 900
feet, Novaculite was formed during the Mississippian and Devonian ages (about 350 million
years ago). The stone naturally resists erosion and forms prominent ridges in the
Ouachita Mountain range. The quantity of available Novaculite is
immense. Whetstone quality novaculite is found predominantly in Garland and
surrounding counties in the massive lower division formations. However, individual quarries
exist from Little Rock in Pulaski County westward towards Hatton in Polk
County. The amount of Novaculite
that exists in these formations will allow for the continued production of sharpening and abrasive
products for as long as the demand and profitability is there to sustain the
industry.
Mining records indicate
that settlers in this region began mining in the early 1800's near Magnet Cove
in Hot Springs County. Novaculite mining began in Arkansas intermittently from 1885 to
1905, and since that era mining has remained constant. Before the
Europeans came to know Arkansas whetstones for their unique and superior sharpening and
abrasive qualities, the Native Americans of the region gathered and quarried for
Novaculite to make weapons and tools like arrowheads, spearheads, knives and
axes. This process is known as Flint
Knapping. There is evidence that trading between the tribes resulted
in the distribution and use of novaculite hundreds and maybe thousands of miles
from the source.
Red is Hot and Blue is Cold,
Right?
What color is your Arkansas Novaculite
Whetstone? Black?
Blue-black?
Charcoal Gray?
White?
Multi-color?
Brown?
Grey?
Pink?
Red?
Sometime during the history of Arkansas whetstone production someone came up
with what, at the time, seemed like a good idea. Arkansas stones come in a
variety of colors, so why not associate a stone’s color with its
grade (how hard or soft it is)? It wasn’t a bad idea in the
beginning. Now, however we know that many of the same colors exist in more than one grade
of stone so it gets confusing
for the consumer and very limiting for the manufacturer.
Arkansas whetstones can be found
with any of the following colors: pink,
gray,
rust red,
black, blue-black,
white,
brown,
purplish red. At
times, one will find a combination of some of these colors in the same stone.
Color however, does not distinguish the
difference in the hardness of the stone. With a trained eye color can be used
as one factor when distinguishing between grades of stone. But, only when used in conjunction with
other indicators such as opacity, texture, luster, weight and mining formation. Using only the differences in color during the grading process
is not a reliable indicator of stone grade.
At the Quarry is Where Grading
Begins
Grade differentiation begins at
the quarry. It is here that formations are inspected for mineralogical
characteristics. Novaculite has a distinct appearance where it breaks—it
resembles a shell (imagine looking at the surface edge of a scallop shell) known
as a conchodial fracture. The surface is smooth and will have a dull luster in
the softer grades and a waxy, moving toward glassy luster in the finer grades.
Being a
sedimentary rock, the deposits are inter-bedded with some shale according to the
Arkansas Geological Commission. For more information about
stone grades see our page Stone Grades 101.
I got an A+ !
Arkansas stones are classified into
grades of hardness, or density and everyone does not call stones within grade
categories the same thing. Not even government
agencies refer to the stones the same way! You can see how the variety of
names and colors could become a huge challenge in deciding which grade is best
for your application. Educating yourself is the best method to ensuring
you get what you want. If you are still unsure about what stone to purchase,
please contact us. We would be more than happy to help you choose the best stone
for your application.
