Jacob
Pint of bass, porkpie, and packet of crisps please
Oil can restore colour to some hardwoods. Your prob was too much oil! If you must keep them oily then just a quick wipe before you use the chisel is all you need. What about the wax problem - it can act as a resist to later finishes?This oil on wood thing is interesting.
I bought a set of six Wickes chisels in a plastic case a few months ago - plenty good enough for a novice like me. I oiled them to keep rust at bay, and found the oil was staining wood that I was working on. I found out from youtube how to make my own wax. For parts of tools that come into contact with wood I now use only wax, with oil for the rest. This has cured the staining problem and still prevents rust well.
I don't know why only the oil caused staining. Perhaps somebody can explain?
Just noticed Classic Hand Tools do oil stones including Arkansas - cheaper than I expected Oil Stones