Thread: Hard Arkansas

Originally Posted by Euclid440

An Ark finisher, after a 12k Super Stone is a great edge, especially if you like the keen, krisp Ark edge. It also works well post 8K.

Years ago, I learn to hone on Arks, before good synthetic water stone were as good as they are now. The practice then, was bevel-set on a Washita, and finish on Black or Tranlucent and strop.

Typically I do a Chosera 1K, Norton 4/8K, finish on a 12K Super Stone. Strop on Chrome Oxide and CBN. Or finish on Escher, Ark, Vosegine or film and strop.

I do still like an Ark edge, it is a different edge. I have no idea of the SG of my Arks and don’t care. They are all old and do work though.

What did you do years ago to wake up the coarse stone? On woodworking sites, people get upset because the soft arkansas stone will begin to cut slowly as it goes to sleep, and they put it away and that's that.

Diamond hones now let us buy a cheap stone and get it to cut fast. The rest of the equation then is progression and the fact that in the finer stone a bit firmer pressure is necessary. That and the edges of the stone are not something I like to allow to come in contact with the bevel of the razors because the abrasive is dull over a wide area but on the edges when the contact gets focused, it can still dig deeper than you want given that the particles aren't particularly small.

Anyway, I think the part of this that makes it all work for me is the ability to turn the stones on with a diamond hone or let them turn themselves off with use. That and having enough razors that I could experiment with a little more pressure (not a lot of pressure, just what would be a lot for synthetics).