Thread: Fake washita stones.

I have two that I really like and I'm pretty sure they come from the same mine. I really like them because I can set a bevel on them and jump straight to a thuringian and get an amazing shave. I often use them over my progression for razor restoration.

Here are some more Washitas. The Lily White is very close to original, clean color. The rest were exactly the same shade of white after they were cleaned, until more of the old rancid oil from deep in the interior seeped out.

The one under the Lily White is a Norton #1 Washita, and the one that looks half white and half rust/orange is depicted again in the last photo - you can see that the bottom is still white - this stone is stored upside down in oil, so it all settled/seeped to the other side after cleaning. The discolored stones need another trip to the tank, eventually they will stay white.

I find these stones most useful for chisels personally, as they tend to lose their bite pretty rapidly on harder steel. Although this can be beneficial if you want a better finish it really slows down the cutting speed.

The descriptions "Washita" and "soft Arkansas" can be interchangeably used. I believe it has to do with the Arkansas geological ranking at the state governmental level. This has changed over the past 100 years, as has the "hard Arkansas" ranking, which now more or less applies to the upper echelon of soft Arks, rather than translucents. Still, the range of the old Washitas can be pretty broad; I've seen vintage stones labelled as "Washita" that are dead ringers for the current crop of soft Arkansas stones, and I've used vintage lily whites bordering on translucents in terms of feel.

The two on the right look like they could use a good cleaning, cutting will improve once cleaned and lapped if needed.

Here's two NOS washitas for color reference. The Lily white is pure white throughout while the Number 1 washita has some blueish spots. Both stones are semi translucent and have a high ring when tapped with a metal object. (Higher than the labeled Norton soft arks that I have here).
I've only used one of the red, marbled buck type "washitas" and it was more on par with a soft ark IMO

I'm inclined to agree with Jimmy, and the pages from Dan's Whetstones. They're not just a sales outfit, they own the mines that these rocks come from. Don't get too caught up on color. Novaculite has a variety, and it has the same effect on the hone's performance as that your car's paint color has on horsepower - none. Either it cuts like a Washita or it doesn't. Unless you have a way to test specific gravity, the only way to know for sure is to use them.

I don't think Dans owns a washita mine, but I could be wrong.

So is it just me? But I have always loved the look of Arks and often buy them in swap meets for a few bucks, just for the colors and marbling.

Love the Arks, I seem to always have a few soaking…

And still after all these years, there is nothing like an Ark shaving edge…

Originally Posted by Euclid440

So is it just me? But I have always loved the look of Arks and often buy them in swap meets for a few bucks, just for the colors and marbling.

Love the Arks, I seem to always have a few soaking…

And still after all these years, there is nothing like an Ark shaving edge…

It is not just you. When done right, I haven't found anything that compares IMO.