I am a sharpening addict/tool nerd, been trying to make pieces of steel cut better since about 1968. I use some of those sharp pieces of steel to turn recently deceased animals into tasty food, so I put this post here in "hunting accessories".
This is not something I have any financial interest in. I did not get anything in return for reviewing this item. I am NOT posting this in the commercial sector, as it includes an Amazon (off site) link. Moderators, please remove or relocate this as you may see fit.
A couple of years back, someone here was offering "novaculite" sharpening stones (more or less in the raw, it turned out). The provider did mention it would "take some work" to turn this substance into a usable bench stone, which was a bit of an understatement.
There was much gnashing of teeth, wailing and rending of garments when the few who actually got the goods opened the package to discover "I got a ROCK", as Charlie Brown used to say.
One member who gamely went ahead and did the work required to produce a flat surface for sharpening attached his newly acquired (totally naturally shaped) rock to a rope behind his vehicle with a weight on top and let the highway do the flattening as he drove. Ingenoious use of materials to hand there, he may have been farm raised? Perhaps it ran up the local highway taxes a bit, couldn't have done the pavement any favors.
Glad I didn't send that person my hard earned money for a pet rock But I'm a slow learner, and occasionally still found myself believing I might some day, just possibly, get something good in the line of a natural sharpening stone for way cheap.
I finally have, I think. I just got this slab of Chinese rock for about $25.00 (I got free shipping, Amazon Prime). It arrived usefully flat and, perhaps, is the functional equivalent of a decent chunk of novaculite. Don't have a clue what mineral it is, but it WORKS.
NOT a good choice as your first (or your only!) sharpening stone if you've just started. But it sure did improve on the edge my 5,000 grit water stone gives me. I have a (too small, too expensive) piece of hard black Arkansas stone, this stone was cheaper and works at LEAST as well, plus the size is much handier for anything larger than a paring knife.
This is a (Claimed) 10,000 grit natural stone, 9" X 2" X 1". Kind of pretty, looks like green jade with dark veins. I have used it on wood chisels and some kitchen and hunting knives so far, I'm happy with the results. It even comes with a couple of silicon rubber nonskid pads/edge protectors which are useful if you don't already have a suitable sharpening stone holder.
Here's where I got it:
https://www.amazon.com/Decdeal-Sharp...yo_pop_d_pd_t2
Hope some of you may find this useful.