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Hi all,
I'm interested in using my broken-in translucent Arkansas as a hone for periodic touch-ups. I guess a man-made stone would make life easier, but I'd like to have a go with this one first.
My razor is made of c135 carbonsong steel (I know this is perhaps a hard steel to use with novaculite).
At the moment the razor is still shave-ready. What kind of periodic touch-up system could I try? 100 passes every 10 shaves?
Hard translucent Arkansas stones can provide very nice razor edges. I would recommend touching up your razor whenever stropping is no longer sufficient to give you a comfortable shave, whether that is ten shaves or a thousand. (Using canvas and leather, my daily-use razor is coming up on three and a half years without any other honing.) And then only do a few passes on the stone (perhaps ten or so) at a time, strop and try shaving. Repeat until the the edge is back to a satisfactory sharpness.
There are people here who love edges from translucent arks. As you may know they are quite slow cutting stones, but from what I've seen are capable finishers and would work for touch ups. Being a natural the only way to know for sure is to give it a try.
I'm sure someone with more experience on them will chime in.
I haven't used my translucent or my black hard on many razors, but either of them have given me an edge reminiscent of a coticule edge on those I've tried. If that is the type of edge you like it should be fine. Other than that, what JeffR said in post # 2 mirrors my thoughts.
Just out of curiosity, on your daily shaver, what kind of razor is it? and what was it finished on?Quote:
Originally Posted by JeffR
It's a DOVO #41 full hollow Swedish stainless steel (with "Pearlex" scales). I think that the stainless steel is a big part of the edge longevity. I don't know what it was finished on - whatever they used at the DOVO factory. I must've gotten one of the one-in-1000 razors with a good factory edge. It did improve over the first few shaves from careful stropping, though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Martin103
These happenings are often hard to believe... I bought a razor from an antique dealer on eBay who said that it had come from an elderly woman. The razor was her father's. the razor and the edge looked like it was new. I mailed her about it, she said that the woman told her that her father used it for years and had only used a strop to sharpen it. Yes, I asked, but she didn't want to sell the strop!!Quote:
Originally Posted by JeffR
Quote:
Originally Posted by russell4cook
20+ Years of Maintaining my first 2 SR's on an Arkie tells me that it is possible...
The bad news is you are really going to be pushing the envelope with the C135 steel.
I used my Arkie once every two weeks I was taught back then to "Feel" for smoothness while doing the X strokes once the bevel felt smooth coming and going on the stone, stop and strop that was it..
You are going to have to figure out your own maintenance schedule it might be once a week to once a month there is no way to tell ahead of time...
One thing I can tell you is that you do NOT want to wait for the razor to go dull, the saying goes "It is much easier to keep a knife sharp then sharpen a knife" this applies to SR maintenance also
I have a razor that I have kept sharp as a test blade since 2007 with using just a Swaty Barber's hone... I know of another guy that has a 7 day set that he has done the same with for at least 5 years if not longer.. Maintenance works
The biggest problem with the Translucent is that it can be inconsistent. Could be 20, 50, 100 strokes or who knows. Playing with it to find the sweet spot on the razor at hand is definitely beneficial. Some have even used a .25 micron spray on it to hasten the process, but that can be inconsistent as well. I tend to look at this stone as a can do stone vs. some of the more reliable or consist stones.
Have fun.
As long as you understand that arks are very slow and are oil stones it can be done. I would recommend using other options like a swaty or other fine barber hone. You take lather from your brush, slap some on the hone and make 3-5 strokes and you're good to go again.
I keep my swaty in the bathroom. If the razor feels tuggy at all I just slap lather on the hone and make three strokes and continue shaving. It works very well.
If you want a bench hone for this then just seek a naniwa 12000 or something similar for your finishing and touch ups.
Like I said, it can be done, but they're slow and it's recommended to use oil to keep the metal floating on the stone instead of clogging the surface. I know some guys use water instead of oil but I can't really comment.
pasted strops work for touch ups too and they're very fast and effective.
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¢ :)
Quote:
Originally Posted by russell4cook
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.
Shoot him an email or PM and ask,Quote:
Originally Posted by russell4cook
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:)
Try using a slurry only after you have verified that your edge is making contact with the hone. Once it is then try various slurries and see what the results are.
That will work!Quote:
Originally Posted by russell4cook
I sometimes use an ancient 10'' transark that hasn't been used with oil bevore and raise up a slurry with a yellow-green thuringian slurry stone. Gives great edges on a straight and saves material of a good yellow-green thuringian hone. You simply have to take care, that you are honing on a hard ark and not on a soft thuringian. I am shure it will work with coticule slurry also.
Thanks for all the advice.
I checked with Phil, and was informed that a touch up will not require me to tape the spine. Btw, I'd like to mention how quick Phil's reply was, within a few hours, great post-sales service.