Honing Oils

[Tioga]

So I'm getting ready to put the final touches on my Woodsmens, and I go to use my honing oil only to find out the ol' gal used the last of it on some squeeky hinges.    :mad:        :mad:     To save our marriage, she agreed to buy me a new can. Skinflint that I am, and as long as she's spending HER money, I figger I'll get the best money can buy.

  She works while I hunt, so she's purty near perfect and tradin' er in ain't an option. What kind of honing oil do you folks recommend?

[BobW]

Working with Sharpster over the last year, the "best" honing oil isn't honing oil, its products like "screw loose".

I use "Gunk" in the aerosol.  The pressure of the spray also cleans the stones (slightly - you still need to clean them occasionally)

[Tioga]

Originally posted by BobW:
Working with Sharpster over the last year, the "best" honing oil isn't honing oil, its products like "screw loose".

I use "Gunk" in the aerosol.  The pressure of the spray also cleans the stones (slightly - you still need to clean them occasionally)

Thanks Bob. Looks like she's gonna get off cheap.  

[longarrow]

Soapy water works well also...let her off realy cheap!!

[No-sage]

Kerosene works the best I've tried.

What a lot people don't realize is that honing oil in not a lubricant for the steel or the stone. It's purpose is to keep the pores of the stone clear by floating the metal filings off the surface.

[Jeff Strubberg]

I've stopped using stones.  A diamond hone means never looking for the honing oil again...

[Fletcher]

I've found WD-40 to work very well, but kinda like Jeff I use mostly diamonds now.  Not very traditional, tho.

[Hud]

My vote is for a diamond stone, comes in course and fine. I prefer the fine, followed by a Ceramic stone. Produces a sharp head in minutes. There are many types, but one made by Smith has both in on unit. But if you use oil,jewelers rouge rubbed into a leather strap will work nice after you use your oil and will make a blade shaving sharp...

[Tioga]

Lots of good info here. Thank you all very much.  

[BobW]

no, no , no on the WD-40.  Has varnish in it that will lock up the pores of the stone.  Its BAAAAAD stuff!

BobW

[Jeremy]

Most "traditional" honing oils are a mixture of kerosine and mineral oil.  Since my stones are used for kitchen knives too, I use a food-safe honing oil from Norton.

The diamond stones are great.  They work even better with a little bit of water on them.  The extremely fine grits aren't readily available though (and the green very fine stone ain't so fine) so anything I really want to get sharp goes on up the grits to a black arkansas stone.

[razorsharptokill]

On my diamond stone I use windex. Mostly because its convienient.

I also have a dual water stone. One side is 1000 grit and the other 6000 grit. That is my last step before leather stropping with autobody buffing glaze.