what is an Arkansas Stone?

Question

they are usued for knife sharpening why the name

Answer 1

Because the stone primarily is found in Arkansas. They are some of the finest knife sharpening stones on the market used not only for knives but for jewelry as well.

Answer 2

Most of the stone is quarried in Arkansas:

Mining and Production
Novaculite for abrasives is mined mostly in Garland and Hot Spring Counties. It is classified by the abrasives industry into two categories: "Arkansas" stone and "Washita" stone. "Arkansas" stone is extremely fine-grained, uniform, has a waxy luster, and is typically white or light gray. "Washita" stone is less dense, more porous, and has the dull luster of unglazed porcelain. When quarrying novaculite for whetstones, little or no explosive is used because blasting, combined with the brittle nature of the stone, tends to cause excessive fracturing, reducing the amount of useful stone. Rough novaculite blocks are cut by circular diamond saws, using large amounts of degradable lubricant or water as a coolant. The preformed stones are lapped (smoothed) on horizontal rotating grinding machines, using industrial abrasive grits, such as silicon carbide.
Commercial whetstone mines were active in Arkansas until the development of less costly synthetic abrasives. Recently, the demand for natural honestones and oilstones has increased, resulting in increased quarry output. In 1990, there were 9 companies that mined and processed whetstones in the Hot Springs area. The tonnage of novaculite mined for abrasives applications is withheld to avoid disclosing company proprietary data.
Large tonnages of novaculite are also quarried each year for use as concrete aggregate, road construction material, railroad ballast, riprap, high-silica refractories, and for the recovery of silicon metal. The massive novaculite of the Upper and Lower Divisions of the Arkansas Novaculite is a source of high-purity silica (>99 percent). Individual quarries for novaculite extend from Little Rock in Pulaski County westward to Hatton in Polk County.

Answer 3

Listen to Don he know's of what he speak's . and by the way I'm from Arkansas so I know what he's saying is true.

Answer 4

Because that is where they are from .That is one of the higher quaility wet stone.There is also Norton, and one that I have ,Lamb Stones from Belgum.