Review on Arkansas Sharpening Stone Set Mounted: Optimal Edge Sharpening Solution by Lawrence Crespo

While I like the fact that they come pre-mounted on blocks of wood, I would appreciate the overall quality of the stones. must be middle class. As a product of natural mining, each stone should be expected to have some variation in texture and hardness. However, with the kit I received, I question the quality control/standards. First, a soft rock was called hard and a hard one was called soft (yes, I understand you can't judge by color alone; I could tell by the texture and scratch pattern on my knife blade). Second, both the soft and hard material had a moderate amount of pitting on the surface right in the middle, while the soft material had moderate to severe pitting along one of the top edges. The black Arkansas was actually one of the highest quality black Arkansas I have ever seen. The problem was some sawing/vibration marks on the surface of the stone. I think you have to consider the asking price which I think is reasonable for what you are getting. but I would consider the class of these stones secondary, and had I known that I would not have bought them in the first place. They will surely be good for garage hand tools, garden tools, etc. However, for thin knives I will use Dan's Whetstones Co. brand stones.