(from @lost-in-pinwheel-forest)
Hii so i recently started training a steel type and I need some advice. Specifically a low-level Pawniard. I didn't realize before catching her how much of an expense whetstones would be, and I was wondering if you know a good way to find them outdoors maybe? Or get them in any way other than just buying them?
I'm sure I can figure out the money if I have to, but since they maintain their blades on their own in the wild there's gotta be a good alternative right?
Ah, well, Pawniard and other steel types are hardly my area of experience as they neither frequent my region nor my personal preference. However a friend of mine, Casimir’s husband, does keep a kingambit, and from the looks of it quite a well groomed one. I reached out to him for his expertise on the subject- and got quite the lecture to my surprise. Not that I was complaining, it was quite interesting. The following is a rephrasing of the key points, for anything more detailed I would recommend asking someone that works with this line directly, or perhaps a blacksmith of sorts.
Natural whetstones are entirely possible to use, Novaculite is the most commonly used whetstone material, if you have any idea where to source that stone naturally. There are a large number of deposits in regions like Orre, Johto, Kanto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, and some parts of Southern Kalos. They’re resistant to erosion, meaning that deposits often sit on the top layers of soil and don’t require intense mining to obtain. If you don’t have access to novaculite then there’s also water stones or artificial ones.
In practice you really just need to find a rock of appropriate grit in order to shave metal from the blade’s edge. To use a natural whetstone effectively you need to use a slurry in order to speed up the process. You create slurry with a smaller stone that you rub against your larger stone along with water. It has the added benefit of preventing the pores of your base stone from becoming embedded with metal pieces from the blade.
If you have an idea of the grit you want the stone to be for sharpening, you can achieve that grit more easily by prepping the stone with sandpaper beforehand.
Assuming you maintain your stone well and break off a substantial enough chunk, you will not need to replace it nearly as often as you will your slurry stones. You can utilize surface refreshing techniques in order to restore the natural properties of the whetstone. Keep in mind that you should not be over sharpening your Pawniard or using your whetstone improperly. A single whetstone, yes even synthetic ones, are intended to last you years. If you are using a pokemon grade whetstone and burning through them, there’s a higher likelihood that you are misunderstanding how to use your current whetstone, rather than needing constant replacements. You shouldn’t need a massive amount of pressure to sharpen a Pawniard’s blade and shouldn’t move too quickly. Just try to find a comfortable angle for your pawniard and use smooth even strokes.
While this can be a good bonding activity, many pawniard prefer to sharpen their own blades, as they often do in the wild- though this does often change with evoloution. If at all possible, try offering your pawniard a choice between a few stones. Most pawniard will have a strong preference and keep their own ‘special’ stone and it is good to encourage these natural behaviors.
