1KnifeGuy4U- I believe it was my thread that was getting a little high jacked but I didn't really mind.
I have come to this conclusion on my arkie that I have, mind you it is a 4x2 Surgical Black. I bought it off ebay at a steel. It was NOS from some company I can't really read the label. As it was never used I had to lap it and man did that suck. It has some translucense but not like the white ones and thats because it is black.
I started to lap it with 180 grit SP and worked my way all the way to basically using my dragons tongue from IJ as a lapping stone. I read somewhere, and it was probably here, that the more polished it is the smoother edge you will get. The person suggested taking hard steel to it and just going to town... so that is what I did. I broke down all the little novaculite quarts particles to where they are smooth. Unlike waterstones where new sharpening material is always released freshly, arkies do not release new sharpening grit hence why you can't make a slurry nor IMO should you make a slurry, let the surface get worn. Instead the grit just breaks down and becomes smoother. Thats why for knives you have to reface them to be of any use and thats also why they are slow. I was talking to a guy and he likened waterstones to being like dragging a pickaxe through soil where you get deep narrow scratches and an arkie like dragging a shovel through dirt where you get very shallow but wide scratches and that is where the smoothness come from. I am not saying its true I am just saying that is what a guy told me. The SB that I have has been worked like a mule and it has a reflective surface in it. I can see my reflection in it. Don't know if this is a good thing or bad thing as it does take a very long time to see any results but as far as I can tell the results are worth it to me.
The one last thing that I will add is that in the world of hones some of them get very expensive (JNATS, Eschers, Thuringians..what have you) and they work great and always have and there is a reason why they are expensive....because they're the bees knees. However if you are like me and don't have money to throw at stones there is the Surgical Black or Translucent that can get you where you want to be. The only trade off for having saved money is that now you must work much longer and harder for your edge. I am willing to make that trade others are not. I am not saying that an arkie is better than every other stone and I really doubt that they are better than JNATS and eschers but they're alot freaking cheaper especially since I got mine for 11 bucks in a cedar box that is fancy and smells nice.
Oh and about the lap counts....I don't count I find it to be futile to count. I just keep going till I get that suction-y? feel and then do about 100 more. Don't know if thats necessary but it works for me.