Thread: Translucent Arkansas for Periodic Touch-Ups?

It seems that you have masochistic tendencies to even contemplare an ark as a touch-up hone for a carbonsong steel razor. Very hard razor, very slow hone. I did use a translucent ark as a finisher for a number of years, and very good edges it gave, though I would say they were more 'crisp' than coticule-like, but thats naturals for you. If I was to use an ark as a touch-up hone now, it would be as a carrier for sperfine cerium or cromox powder. That woul cut your amount of laps down dramatically: 5 or so as opposed to 100 or more. But then again, you wouldnt be experiencing the finish off the stone...

Regards,
Neil

Hi everyone.

Thanks for all the replies. I've only just now been able to get the time to check them.

I guess what I'll do is give it a go, if it seems like it's too slow then I'll use the stone as a substrate for cromium oxide．

Hey there, up til now I have been finishing with the Black Arkansas, this suggestion of using cromium oxide seems most expedient. I concur that it is slow and results vary, I had alternated between x strokes and circular forward strokes, with the later producing better results, although, circular passes do increase the amount of honing contact by a large margin over x strokes per pass. This may account for the better results. I put a nice edge on a 4/8 JA Heilberg, after a couple shaves and lots of stroping on an Illnois 127, it wants a touch up, I do have a rather thick and course beard.

Hey guys.

I did a bit of looking around, and it seems I can get a bar of chromium oxide honing compound easily in Shanghai. They look a bit on the cheap side though, so I might go for a more expensive one online. Any thoughts on this? I've heard some people say that the cheaper compounds often have a grit range of 0.5 to 1.5 microns, that'd be good enough for me.

Do yourself a favor and use only dry chrome ox powder mixed with some fine oil, 25/75 oil, or get some premixed from SRD. Avoid using the bars, especially on your stone, it will gum it up.

Just my 2¢

Originally Posted by russell4cook

Hey guys.

I did a bit of looking around, and it seems I can get a bar of chromium oxide honing compound easily in Shanghai. They look a bit on the cheap side though, so I might go for a more expensive one online. Any thoughts on this? I've heard some people say that the cheaper compounds often have a grit range of 0.5 to 1.5 microns, that'd be good enough for me.

As said, all naturals will vary, translucent and hard noviculites especially so. For hard novelties stone prep will profoundly improve the stone face and your edge. Which is why some old stones that have had years of hard flat steel put to them work so well for razors.

There is much written on prepping arks, basically put hard flat steel with pressure on them to smooth the face. Carbon steel chef’s knives works well, sharpen 3 or 4 doing 100 or more laps each. The face should feel like glass.

Even so, as said you are taking on a project… but not impossible. If successful you will have an amazing edge. Don’t forget to ink the bevel to insure the razor was not honed with tape or you will never get is shaving.

Good luck, it only takes time, but worth it.

Use with Smith's Honing solution and water for best results.

Regarding whether or not the spine was taped during honing, does anyone know if Phil from the Classic Edge usually does that? I got my razor from him.

Ink the bevel and put it on the stone for a lap or two. You will know in an instant, if taped you will remove ink from the bevel up to but not the edge, along the full length of the edge.

This is something you should routinely do for touch up honing any razor you have not honed yourself.

Originally Posted by russell4cook

Regarding whether or not the spine was taped during honing, does anyone know if Phil from the Classic Edge usually does that? I got my razor from him.

Shoot him an email or PM and ask,
Here is his Profile http://straightrazorpalace.com/members/classicedge.html

Just came across a thread about using Coticule slurries on Trans Arks...maybe I could pick up two Coticule naguras and use them to make a fast cutting slurry to put on my Arkansas... Just thinking out loud