Are there any books that are good to use as a guide for learning how to hone?
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Are there any books that are good to use as a guide for learning how to hone?
Here's a start.
https://sharprazorpalace.com/honing/...ml#post1445990
It is specifically about Japanese stones and methods but it is one source to consider. Also there are barber manuals that many refer to. Personally, I learned mostly by reading online sources including here.
Weren't you looking at the Naniwa set ??
This might help you out, it works on the Shapton sets too but we did the experiment with the Naniwa SS hones
https://sharprazorpalace.com/advance...iwa-users.html
I watched your touch up video with the 12k naniwa on youtube
I currently have the 1k-12k shapton pro stones started out sharpening knives and got interested in SRs but not sure if they are very good for SRs
I think I am leaning toward the dark side with Paul Faus currently looking for a good hard arkansas stone too
I'll say this...Arks are most suited to knives and tools, until u reach Hard black/surgical, or trans ark. They work great for finishers.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cattleman02
But then there's the Washita. The most versatile of them all. IMHO. They'll set a bevel, and thru the use of different lubes,( oil, water, lather, ect.) some can hone up to near 8k. Usually a well burnished hone, of course.
Two Arks I recommend to get: (okay there are actually a buttload but these are the two I recommend most)
Norton No 1 Washita
...and either one of the following
Pike Hard Arkansas (transluscent)
or
Dan's Whetstones Black Arkansas
Oh, and get them boxed if possible.
Oh yeah, add to that suggestion: try to get them in 6" or preferably 8 " if possible. Of course the larger the more expensive and harder to find they are. You can use 4" stones but it's easier with at least 6 inchers
Between those two, you can go a long way. That No 1 Washita is probably the most versatile single stone of the Arkansas group, really of any stone I'm familiar with. As Mike pointed out, you can go virtually from bevel set to near finish on it alone with some practice and the proper lapping and lubricants.
One other Stone I would add to that list if you want to do a full Arkansas progression is what's known as a "calico Washita" those are becoming really hard to find though, ones of any size at least. Between those 3 stones lapped correctly on either side you can go from too dull to cut hair at all to blisteringly keen, too sharp really.
Damn! There goes my HAD flaring up again.
There's also the rare Butterscotch, Washita.
Attachment 354076
I used the Shapton Ha no Kuromaku (Pro) stones for years on a lot of razors.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cattleman02
They cut very deeply, not like diamonds but not far off. A heavy hand will make a mess of some razors depending on their steel. Some say the 1k is closer to an 800 grit. I reckon that's because they cut so deep.
Great for restoration due to the cutting speed but I always tended towards fininishing on Jnats. Having said that 12k to pasted chrome oxide & then iron oxide strops would save a lot of money on naturals.
The 12 k gives a laser sharp edge -- in the right hands and comfortable enough for me after pasted strops..
I also have what I believe is one of those glued in a box but it is cracked in half.Quote:
Originally Posted by outback
Are you sure that butterscotch isn't just oil soaked.....
Hello all, if you're going to recommend Arkansas stones to anyone then may I ask you to include a description or links to a process of preparing the surface of the hone for razor use. I have spent many hours trying to hone straight razors with various Arkie stones and was very frustrated with the results. I have all manner of those stones from various Washita stones, blacks, white translucent and a gray translucent.
What I never did was lap any of the surfaces on 320 grit valve grinding/lapping compound and burnish it with a steel.
Mine were all super slick and never, never improved the razor's edge.
I was saving them to use as foundation stones for my next outhouse. :)
You should send them to me Randy. I'll take good care of them.:nj :rofl2:
Seriously though:
I have posted about this before. I'll see if I can findi it but i use sic to lap the rough and wet/dry for the burnished side, differing grit for different stones. As an example, the No1 I lapped on 80 grit for the rough side and 320 w/d on the burnushed side. That doesn't seem that far apart but the sic side is like a sidewalk and the w/d side is like a countertop. Wet/dry makes for a much smoother surface prep. With the hard transluscent I preped to 400 sic and 600 w/d.
Also, none of this is carved in stone (see what I did there?) nor is it permanent because the tendency of the stone is to revert to smooth rather than to rough so you can experiment and see what works best. I usually write on the side in pencil with arrows telling what I used so I can either change it if need be or do the same if it is working well that way.
Quote:
Originally Posted by PaulFLUS
So 80 grit is 80 grit silicon carbide sandpaper? wet/dry is aluminum oxide or silicon carbide sandpaper?
Personally, I can only recommend starting with synthetic hones for a new guy. There is too much variation in the natural Arkie stones and the prep to get them suitable for straight razors.
Just my 2? :)
Oh yeah, I guess I didn't include the actual method. I use a hard glazed floor tile and sic powder. I bought mine on ebay from rockbottomlapidary1 but there are plenty of other sellers.
Sprinkle a small amount on the tile and mist with a spray bottle. Work the stone in a figure eight, back and forth, circles, just keep it moving and try to cover the whole tile to avoid it dishing. The Arkansas stones are so hard they will crush down the powder so if you are flattening also it will necessitate adding more powder as you go. Same process for the w/d side except clean the tile as clean as possible, spray the paper side and stick it to the tile. Range of motion is usually less because of the limits of the paper size but try to keep it streched out flat and smooth as much as possible but cover the sheet.
There is also a method I use which I have posted about. I can try to find that too.Quote:
Originally Posted by randydance062449
It is true that you get there faster with synths but one thing to consider is this: one thing all the laps did for me is "hone" my technique also. Since there are more laps needed to get there each one has less effect on the outcome.
It soaked n soaked and scrubbed. Many times. That's as clean as it would get. It's a bit translucent, too.
Attachment 354085
Attachment 354086
No. When I say "sic" I mean silicon carbide powder. By "w/d" I mean wet or dry sandpaper, aluminum oxide.Quote:
Originally Posted by randydance062449
I think you'll find w/d is Silicon Carbide . At least 3M™ is.Quote:
Originally Posted by PaulFLUS
https://www.3m.com.au/3M/en_AU/p/d/b40071151/
Good catch. Yes, you are right that some w/d is silicon carbide such as 3M and Gator. Other brands such as Norton and Hercules are aluminum oxide. But you're right and I actually knew that which is the worst part. Thank you for pointing that out.
I think arkies are going to be perfect for me. I'm not good at honing yet. Less might be more for me. Tried to touch up a razor the other day and messed up my edge with 1 micron lapping film. Starting to think I can mess up n anvil with a feather at this point
Be patient. It takes time and practice. As long as you're not heavy handed and do physical damage to it you can always go back. Read plenty of posts and watch the RIGHT honing videos and that will help. Glen (gssixgun) has some good ones. Edge Dynamics has some on his website also. Those are the two I recommend. Also you might be able to meet someone in your area for an in person, one on one instruction if someone is clise by. If that doesn't work you might be able to do a video call to someone. If you decide that Arks are your thing I have a method that works pretty well. I'd be willing to show you that if you have some rocks to play with.
I have been watching Glen's videos.
