Thread: Washita..

So a good member of SRP by the name of Badgister sold me this bad boy and it arrived today.I ran it on a DMT to flatten it out and clean it up.

I want this to be a multi use stone, Sharpening razors, knives, chisels etc.

I don't plan on using it as a one stone hone.. Not practical and I'm not sure how it would work. I will try it though one day, stranger things have happened. Other then that there is some translucency to it when using a flashlight so that's always promising maybe it will be a finer stone?


So a few key questions here and maybe DaveW will jump in and save the day. Are these stones hard or will they be required to be flattened constantly? Should I break them in the same way I would a trans or surgical ark?

What are some tips and tricks for those of you who use the stone? It can be razor, knife, scissor related. I'm just looking for a little history of a Washita.
Not to toot my own horn but I think it's a beautiful stone.

Thank you Badgister, it's appreciated my friend.



Crappy cellphone pics. Apologies. ( that black mark in the top right corner is marker left over no sense lapping that away if the rest of the stone is flat anyways and it won't impede my stroke.)

Try wearing in one side and use the other freshly agitated.

Yes, this ^^^^.

I recently discovered a test in some old geological text that can tell you right off the bat whether your Washita is on the coarser or finer end of the Washita grit spectrum. Water absorption.

You need to get the stone free of at least most of the oil to let the test work OK. I use Simple Green soak in a heated ultrasonic cleaner... works great. You'll need a decent scale to measure the weight. First, let the stone dry out after lapping/oil removal until the weight stabilizes. Record that as the dry weight. Then soak the stone in a tub of water until it stops gaining weight. Record that as the wet weight. (Note that with some stones this may take days). Divide wet weight by dry weight to get percentage weight change.

The stones at the finer end of the Washita spectrum will absorb enough water to change the stone weight by a percentage on the order of 0.1% and the coarsest will change the weight by an amount on the order of 6% - 7%.

I have two Washitas, one of mine is right at 0.1% - 0.2% and the other is at about 1%.

The unagitated side, I would never touch with anything other than something to clean it off (like an oily rag, etc, one that's uncontaminated). Eventually, it will be able to finish a razor. If you use that side to do heavy work on knives, though, it will eventually get out of flat. I think you'll find a light touch on the other side will be fine for knives so as to preserve the pristine side for either finishing a razor at some point or prepping it for a hard ark.

Here's my thoughts on using that side broken in. The razor off that side and then to untreated linen and strop will often be a bit rough on the first shave. a dozen or so very light strokes after the first shave (so as not to work the actual edge off of the razor) and a trip to the linen and leather again may make an edge that feels almost identical to a hard ark, but some of that probably depends on how fine the stone is cutting.

I've used that method and been surprised how smooth and sharp the razor is after a couple of trips to the linen, but it's not an "easy" method like finishing a razor on a thuringian, and it takes a little bit of luck and touch.

Just use one side for razors and one side for knives then is the consensus.

How should I break it in??' Kitchen knives ? Or what?

I would break in the fine side with hardened steel.

Congratulations thank you for sharing. Where is Badgister from and does he have any more of these Washita stones? http://straightrazorpalace.com/hones...ne-thread.html
MIke

I don't think he has any more. He got it at an antique store and then didn't want it and I was looking for one and he saw that so he messaged me with an offer. He's a fellow Canadian. Beauty of a stone though
That's the other side.

Originally Posted by eKretz

Yes, this ^^^^.

I recently discovered a test in some old geological text that can tell you right off the bat whether your Washita is on the coarser or finer end of the Washita grit spectrum. Water absorption.

You need to get the stone free of at least most of the oil to let the test work OK. I use Simple Green soak in a heated ultrasonic cleaner... works great. You'll need a decent scale to measure the weight. First, let the stone dry out after lapping/oil removal until the weight stabilizes. Record that as the dry weight. Then soak the stone in a tub of water until it stops gaining weight. Record that as the wet weight. (Note that with some stones this may take days). Divide wet weight by dry weight to get percentage weight change.

The stones at the finer end of the Washita spectrum will absorb enough water to change the stone weight by a percentage on the order of 0.1% and the coarsest will change the weight by an amount on the order of 6% - 7%.

I have two Washitas, one of mine is right at 0.1% - 0.2% and the other is at about 1%.

I'm not going to do this. Not because I can't but because that seems like a lot of effort and that's time I'd rather spend determining how fine it is by using it.

Theoretically yes, it would tell me how fine my Washita is in the spectrum of washita's. I just don't own a specimen from the whole spectrum of washita's or really care about the whole spectrum.

They are wonderful stones and I'm not saying I will never try this because maybe one day I will but for the time being I'm going to use it to determine its fineness.

As a matter of fact after I lapped it on my DMT I used it as a bevel setter for 2 razors a dovo and a bocmoc and then followed it on the bocmoc with a coticule a bbw and then another coticule and came out well
and the dovo I went Washita > coticule

Both are going to be test shaved after I pick up my domino's and have dinner.

Originally Posted by MODINE

Congratulations thank you for sharing. Where is Badgister from and does he have any more of these Washita stones? http://straightrazorpalace.com/hones...ne-thread.html
MIke

Mike, have you forgotten me already? You bought that puma special from me recently
Solitarysoldier, you cleaned it up quite well. That rock is quite hard!