Obsolescence of Natural Whetstones

The use of natural stone in machining and other industries for sharpening have become obsolete due to the increasing availability of artificial stones that have more consistent particle sizes that results to higher quality results.

There are two main contributing factors to the diminished use of natural whetstones. The first one is the development of gunpowder that made swords obsolete and the whetstones unnecessary in the military. The second factor is that advancement in industrial chemistry that resulted to the ability to mass produce artificial whetstones.

One major problem with natural stone is the inconsistent grain sizes and low abrasive particle content that results to slower sharpening. Other issues which are more apparent in low quality stones are irregularities in hardness, cracks and the presence of large particles from other stone materials. All of these issues can be avoided with synthetic whetstones. The consistency in particle size alone gives synthetic stones a clear advantage when it comes to sharpening performance.

The main reason why natural whetstones have endured and are still in use is because of tradition. In Japan in which sword polishing is a valued element of the culture, rare natural stones are used. The inconsistency in particle size and pattern results to unique and aesthetic results which gives an item a personality and more value. Some Japanese whetstone also have grit that are finer than most artificial stones. However, these are extremely rare and quite expensive.

Japanese swords are traditionally polished using natural stones.

In the industrial field, there is simply no sense in using natural stones when artificial stones are more readily available, affordable and produces more consistent high-quality results.

Image credit: http://www.japaneseartswords.com