Thread: Hard Arkansas razor hone

I just returned from my local barber. He was busy so I got a five minute lesson. I purchased a Hard Arkansas razor hone (barber hone) It's the same hone he showed me as an example. He only did a few strokes but, I can tell my straight needs a few more. What do you think, will this little guy do the job?

The only way for you to know at your current level of experience is to send it to a pro honer who has experience with arkansas stones and ask their opinion. I have used them for knives, but am not a fan of them (personal opinion only) due to their speed. The only noviculite I use is a charnley forest.

I wouldn't use a hard Arkansas stone as a finisher. A black or translucent would do the job. The hard isn't nearly smooth enough to be a finisher,

Any suggestions on where to sent my blade to get it shave ready,?

Plenty of other guys on here in the classifieds to also hone for you. Heck, even I will hone for you if you want.

As for your little Hard Ark, like any other natural stone, they are all different. Yes, the blacks and translucents are finer finish than the standard hards, but that doesn't mean you cant get a serviceable edge off of it. But it had better be fully honed and ready for a finisher before you go to the hard, because you will simply never reach what you are striving for trying to make a dull razor sharp on a finishing stone.

Agree with Shooter.
Charnley Forest is a great finisher, but I have tried a couple of translucent Arkies with unsatisfactory results.
There are experienced honers that like them.

A hard Arkansas stone is not a finisher. Yes you can shave off one but it's not the most comfortable shave. You can shave off a 1K stone too it doesn't mean it will be a good shave.

If you have a decent linen, I'll post a regimen tomorrow when I can use something other than a phone. That stone looks like a mid level stone at first glance, but that type of stone is sometimes sold as a hard stone.

In the old days, hard meant trans or black.

After the surface finish on your hard Arkansas stone smooths out (you can rub it with a metal rod, phillips screwdriver shaft, etc.) it will give your razor a fine edge and last a lifetime.