Soft Arkansas Pocket Whetstone
Soft Arkansas novaculite sharpening stone. The most versatile whetstone for general purpose sharpening. Stones may vary in size. Proudly made in the USA.
Pocket Stones are perfect for on the spot touch-ups.
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.
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