Baikalit on a blank 150x25x6mm

Baikalite is a siliceous rock - fine-grained quartzite (microquartzite) - with an aggregate structure of quartz grains 1.5-3 µm in size with sharp boundaries between these same grains. Baikalit arose in the field of attention of shapers (and then sharpeners of cutting tools), as well as technical jaspers and much more - during a period when a replacement for Arkansas stone was actively sought. There were many reasons for this - the rock in the Arkansas quarries was drying up and becoming worse in quality, there were interruptions in the supply of imported minerals due to the so-called. abrasive embargo, etc. But that's history. But as a result, today we have a whole range of abrasive natural stones that are somehow comparable in effectiveness to Arkansas stone, which at one time served as the standard for the quality parameters of finishing stone. Baicalite is one of the few minerals that was able to surpass Arkansas in its abrasive properties. With almost the same abrasive ability and composition, Baikalit has a much finer grain and works much cleaner than Arkansas, in a finer finishing area. Due to the small reserves of the Baikalit rock, as well as the active opposition of traditional supporters of Arkansas, it was not widely used in industry, but it actually became a legend in the development of cutting tools. The Baikalit whetstone in any sharpening set is rightfully considered one of the most valuable and sought-after stones.
This mineral received the name Baikalite from the place of its deposit and mining in the Baikal region. Baicalite has a color from light green to dark green with slight color variations of the same shade with a fairly dense structure (7 on the Mohs scale), can work with both water and oil. Since Baikalit does not emit its own suspension, it performs well when working with induced suspensions from third-party materials (nagura, metal oxides, for example, chromium oxide, calcined alumina, ready-made sluri with various compositions, etc.). By practicing variations from suspensions, you can achieve different results in metal processing, from the amazing sharpness of the cutting edge to a small basement of the RK at a super finish, which is necessary, for example, for a comfortable shave.