Vintage Pike Hard Arkansas Oilstone Sharpening Whetstone 5x2 Bench Stone Oak Box For Sale

EXCELLENT CONDITIONTHIS is a vintage Hard Arkansas Oilstone sharpening whetstone manufactured by the Pike Manufacturing Company (which later merged with Norton to become Norton Pike).Historical Overview & BackgroundMaterial: The stone is made of Novaculite, a rare, high-purity microcrystalline quartz found almost exclusively in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas.Grade: "Hard Arkansas" is a highly dense, fine-grained classification. As indicated on your vintage label, it was designed specifically for jewelers, dentists, and machinists who require precision finishes and exceptionally sharp, refined edges.Age: Based on the specific graphics, red target-style logos on the sides, and the green label style, this item likely dates between the 1910s and 1930s. Pike was the premier historic producer of these natural stones before being fully absorbed into Norton Abrasives.Value BreakdownWhy it is valuable: Vintage natural "Hard Arkansas" stones from the early Pike / Norton Pike era (1910s–1930s) are highly collectible. Modern mined stones often lack the uniform density of these early, premium-cut selections.The Box & Label Factor: Having the original fitted oak wood box with a mostly intact green graphic label significantly boosts the value to antique tool collectors and traditional woodworkers.