All About Pocket Knives

Went through my dad's sharpening stones, looks to me be all waterstones, judging by look, feel and sound. A knife blog mentioned that if a magnet doesn't stick to the stone it is a waterstone, if the magnet sticks it is an oilstone. That sounds like nonsense to me. Any truth to that magnet trick?

think I will grab me some popcorn and see where this one goes.

That would suggest oilstone has metallic qualities, like a sharpening steel.

None of my oil stones are magnetic

Would the metals in the blades absorb slightly into the
surface of the well used oil stone making it magnetic??

Got to think about this ................

Bob

The only thing magnetic should be swarf, of the grey metal remnants of the blade from sharpening it. That will happen on any stone but would not be enough to feel with a magnet. If the stone(any kind) loads up with swarf it won’t sharpen as well.