The Wa****a is the coarser multi-color, but the soft and hard can be the
same color, and at least the ones I own, are so close to one another in the
finish they put on the tool as to be interchangeable.

The stones work poorly with thick oil, so I use fuel oil on mine.
Otherwise, the metal glides and honing takes forever.

You've been here, of course?
http://www.danswhetstone.com/novaculite_101.htm

"Tom Best" wrote in message
om...
I've got a nice boxed set of three sharpening stones.

One is dark with black spots, one is medium and one is, was, almost
pure white.

One is supposed to be soft, one medium, and one hard.

One is Wa****a, one is soft Arkansas and the other is hard Arkansas.
Collectively, they are called Novaculite (on the box).

I got them years ago as an Eddie Bauer sharpening set.

I can't tell them apart.

Can anyone help me ID these stones so I can use them in the correct
order?

Thanks

Tom