I need help. I dont know what I bought.

So it was an Ebay special.
Showed up dirty brown like the pics show.
Harder that my Zulu to get a slurry. Took my DMT 1200 to it and it cleaned out the gunk on the card.
Had to go to a 400 lapping plate to raise any slurry.
Very hard and very smooth.
My guess is an Arkansas White,
I dont know since arent those for bevel setting?
This is more of a finisher.
Any input appreciated
Is it a natural? Attachment 222134Attachment 222135Attachment 222136Attachment 222137Attachment 222138Attachment 222139Attachment 222140Attachment 222141Attachment 222142

Can you try to hold a light torch behind it and check if it shows any translucency ? It also could be a type of soft arkansas...

If it would be a Trans Ark it should look like this:
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8572/1...920c12_c_d.jpg

Light torch, Halogen light and it DID shine through.
Not white, amber/dirty brown like the sides.
Very Similar to the dark spot on your image. homogeneous through entire length of stone.

It's a translucent PHIG ,,, very rare,, great grab,,,:beer2:

John you know I believe you like gospel.
Off to the library and Internet to learn about this Unicorn.

Now I found your prior posts
"when I dont know what it is I make up another kind of PHIG"

Here snipe, snipe, snipe.

More pics, was listed a Vintage Hard Arkansas Translucent. More pics





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And a man would could use a Wet Shave.

John has the only "glow in the dark PHIG" on the planet :<0) And he won't sell it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ultrasoundguy2003

was listed a Vintage Hard Arkansas Translucent.

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So why did you Ask [emoji23][emoji23] didntyou trust the Seller....

ok my guess now is ...it is an Vintage Hard Arkansas Translucent....

Looks like they were telling you the truth. I hope its lapped flat for you. I killed all the wetdry sandpaper in my house and my black Arkie still isn't flat. I'll need to get loose stuff from gotgrit to finish it.

I had never seen one before.
Its was dirty and as you alluded to doorsch ' I dont trust Ebay"
Strange thing after I held it up to the light for 5 minutes it honed better.:shrug::shrug:
Magically I think it needs light to activate the honing particles in proper alignment.

Hard to say from the photos, could be a Translucent. A good soaking in Simple Green & water, 50/50 will get it clean, but could take months depending on how much oil has soaked in and how clean you want it.

When I get an Ark I clean with Oven Cleaner and dish soap then if it is flattish and smooth, I try a razor on it. If it was well used it may have a nice burnished finish on it that would be a shame to remove by lapping.

Lapping is done with about $15 of lose Silicone Oxide, you will ruin your diamond plate trying to lap an Ark. Here is a good thread on cleaning and lapping Arks.

They can be very nice finishers after an 8 or 12k edge. An Ark edge is crisp and smooth, it is a unique edge.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ultrasoundguy2003

I had never seen one before.
Its was dirty and as you alluded to doorsch ' I dont trust Ebay"
Strange thing after I held it up to the light for 5 minutes it honed better.:shrug::shrug:
Magically I think it needs light to activate the honing particles in proper alignment.

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As far as i remember some proposals from others you should lap it as fine as possible, then
you need to prep the surface with something like a chisel to get the smoothest possible surface....

EDITED: SKIP it Euclid was faster :beer1:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ultrasoundguy2003

John you know I believe you like gospel.
Off to the library and Internet to learn about this Unicorn.

Now I found your prior posts
"when I dont know what it is I make up another kind of PHIG"

Here snipe, snipe, snipe.

---

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,:rofl2:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ultrasoundguy2003

John you know I believe you like gospel.
Off to the library and Internet to learn about this Unicorn.

Now I found your prior posts
"when I dont know what it is I make up another kind of PHIG"

Here snipe, snipe, snipe.

---

I've seen PHIG and a hundred other descriptors used for hones. This is all mysterious and intriguing to a new shaver. Especially getting into straights. So I googled that acronym, PHIG.

"CHUG (Chinese hone of unknown grit) or
PHIG (people's hone of indeterminate grit)"

It's only unknown or indeterminate until the user decides what it is!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Euclid440

Hard to say from the photos, could be a Translucent. A good soaking in Simple Green & water, 50/50 will get it clean, but could take months depending on how much oil has soaked in and how clean you want it.

When I get an Ark I clean with Oven Cleaner and dish soap then if it is flattish and smooth, I try a razor on it. If it was well used it may have a nice burnished finish on it that would be a shame to remove by lapping.

Lapping is done with about $15 of lose Silicone Oxide, you will ruin your diamond plate trying to lap an Ark. Here is a good thread on cleaning and lapping Arks.

They can be very nice finishers after an 8 or 12k edge. An Ark edge is crisp and smooth, it is a unique edge.

---

I used E-Z Off on my granddad's old Arky to pull years of crud out of it. It cleaned up pretty well.

That all started because grit claims sellers were making, none of which were close.
Some of those stones work, some don’t.

The stone in the post is not one of them, it is an ark.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Euclid440

That all started because grit claims sellers were making, none of which were close.
Some of those stones work, some don’t.

The stone in the post is not one of them, it is an ark.

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Thank-you for the post and pointing me to that thread.
It is flat, DMT 1200 is smoked , and now I will get a chisel and burnish.
Any tips about proper burnish and how do you know when its in the neighborhood.
Feel smooth presently but that may just be the stone. I will try the unlapped side after the simple green.
Chisel and a hour sound about right??

I burnish under running water...seems to speed things up. When I first started I was using oil but the swarf and slurry that kicked up from the stone gave it a matte finish. With water I can get a literal mirror finish on a black or a trans.
As for when it's done...when I start to get that reflective finish I'll try it out on a razor and see where I need to go from there.

Here's my Black Norton after burnishing. I can't remember how much time I had total in getting it ready. I'd do it 15-20 minutes here and there to keep myself from getting burned out

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Euclid440

That all started because grit claims sellers were making, none of which were close.

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That all started when I started THIS thread.

Slartibartfast came up with "People's Hone." It might have been Holliforpirating that added "Indeterminate Grit" but I'm not certain of that one.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dcaddo1

Here's my Black Norton after burnishing. I can't remember how much time I had total in getting it ready. I'd do it 15-20 minutes here and there to keep myself from getting burned out

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If it weren't for that hone, I'd have had no idea what the temperature was.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Utopian

If it weren't for that hone, I'd have had no idea what the temperature was.

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Haha. Well that's an older pic....it's not quite that warm here now but not far off. Definitely no white Christmas in sight...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dcaddo1

Here's my Black Norton after burnishing. I can't remember how much time I had total in getting it ready. I'd do it 15-20 minutes here and there to keep myself from getting burned out

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How did you burnish? I am unsure of HOW to do it. If I use a slurry stone on it later wont that undo the burnish?

Once smooth take it to 1 or 2k to get as smooth as possible. Put the stone on a low table or counter where you can put your body weight on the tool.

I use soapy water on a cookie sheet to contain the water and use a carbon steel cleaver, so I can grab on with both hands. The cleaver concentrates all the pressure on the knife edge. The higher you finish with W&D the less you have to burnish.

You are after as smooth a finish as possible, like Dacaddo’s. I start on one end and just rub the stone with a lot of pressure do 2-3 inches at a time, about 20 laps, then move down and do another 2-3 inches until you have done the whole stone face, then add a squirt of soapy water and go back up. Keep going until you have a glass like finish.

The good news, you only have to do it once, if it need more, do more laps. You do not slurry a finish Ark, Hone on water, Smith’s honing solution or mineral oil and WD40. A burnished finish last forever, the more you hone the more burnished it becomes. Do not use this stone face for knives or tools. If you want to use the stone for other tools, flip it over, and use that side, protect it with rubber drawer liner.

Never slurry an ark. Bring an edge up to a 12k level and do 200-300 laps on the ark with oil or the water soluble buffer of your choice. Ark edges are just about the most forgiving edges relative to how boosted they are.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ultrasoundguy2003

How did you burnish? I am unsure of HOW to do it. If I use a slurry stone on it later wont that undo the burnish?

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Sorry. I use an old carbon steel kitchen cleaver I picked up at a flea market. I take the stones surface as high as possible with W/D and then burnish with the cleaver and water. Pressure will speed things up, but be careful...I've scratched a few in the past using too much pressure.
Once you get it razor ready I wouldn't slurry anything on it. Like Euclid said you can use the other side of the stone if you want to play around with nagura or other slurry stones. I've tried slurry on a trans...wasn't for me.

Thank-you all for your direction an input.
I will put all this to use. It might take some time but when I get it burnished I will post pics.
Euclid440 Simple Green and a Scotch Bright pad cleaned it up very well.
I could not have gotten this far without you gentlemen.
It is lapped and in good condition now it is cleaned.
I had no idea how to burnish correctly before this.
Simply stated and to the point directions are greatly appreciated from all.

OK tell me feedback

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feels good. Going to give it a try.

Feedback on what,, the stone or your technique?

I have a really sharp meatcleaver. The rest is up for debate. Once the WD40 evaperated It is not as shiny.
Still glows in the dark after held to the light though. Man you got me with my mouth open catchin flies on that one.

The stone is a beauty,,,, if it were mine & I were to continue with WD,,, then I would spray it with Simple Green after each use. This will remove the residue & some of the swarf that may remain,,, IMO,, it gives you a fresher surface with each session.

That's such a nice stone, I would be testing its limitations with just water or Smith's Honing Solution,,, maybe slightly soapy water.

Come to think of it,,, I have a tub of Clubman Shave Cream I don't care for,, I would use that,,:shrug:

Looks good, I use more angle, about 45 degrees or more. I use a cleaver about the size of yours with a straighter edge. Mine is a sacrificial carbon steel cleaver, I picked up at a swapmeet for a couple bucks and I don’t care about the edge. With more angle you can put more downward pressure. Do short overlapping strokes then some long ones to blend.

If you did use more angle you could sharpen it easily on a low grit stone when done.

The stone face looks good in the photos and the counter height looks good. Nice looking stone, good size.

Very nice looking stone indeed Jonathan!

A huge thank-you to your input and suggestions. WoW.
You guys are correct. I just used it to finish a W&B wedge,
http://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...ml#post1582895
I would have never gotten this much out of her without you.
Yes I do get it now. Euclidd440, Hirlau you guys are the best.