"A Sharp Knife Cuts Clean"

I was sharpening a paring knife yesterday when I started wondering how many of my grandchildren know what a whetstone is. Then my thoughts turned to all the times I saw my Mother sharpening a knife before beginning a task - like cutting up chickens. When Grandma Bessie and I were helping, Mom would sharpen all our knives. I remember her saying something like "a dull knife causes the most damage".

Mom's whetstone was one like this. It had some advertising on it, from Corning Rendering Company with a phone #, I think. I know in later years one end got broken off. It was something of hers I thought about keeping, and now wish I had.

Knives like that paring knife in the first photo don't hold an edge, unlike the little hand-made knife above which is quite sharp. I bought it at a flea market/swap meet that was held in a timber in Taylor County. I wish I could remember the maker's name. I do recall he was from Clearfield.

My whetstone is a 'pocket' stone, small enough to carry on a camping trip. I don't remember where/when/why I got it, only that it is an "Arkansas" stone. When I look at Natural Whetstone Company's website, I see that it probably came in its own carrying case.

And started out in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas looking something like this: the raw material for "The Finest Whetstone Sharpeners You Can Buy".