Thread: Arkansas bliss

Originally Posted by Marshal

Hmm...interesting idea there. But if you've already honed to a 12K edge and just want to scuff it to whatever level the Arkansas performs to, wouldn't you get about the same end result without the tape? I can't imagine it would take long to polish a razor from 12K to whatever finisher you want, even if it's something slow like a translucent Arkansas. Am I wrong in that assumption?

To tape or not to tape. Both ways are effective and both have their pluses and minuses. Testing each to see which you prefer is easy and fun.

I just use Norton oil... cheap easy to get, doens't smell and been around forever. You need something that prevents abrasion, water just doenst do it, not to mention good oil has a natural tenancy to clean out gunk... on anything.
I also like Lanksy Nathan's natural oil, but its a bit thicker.

Originally Posted by Euclid440

“ I can't imagine it would take long to polish a razor from 12K to whatever finisher you want, even if it's something slow like a translucent Arkansas. Am I wrong in that assumption?”

If your goal is to polish the edge, what benefit is there in finishing the whole bevel?

A lot about finishing with Arks can be learned, by using them. Try it… then decide?

Well, that would require owning both a 12k and an Arkansas hone of known caliber. I have neither, hence the reason I ask folks that either have them, or have (more) experience with them than I.

Closest I can come is finishing a Norton 8K edge on an old 1x5 black Arkansas my grandfather used for his pocket knives. It may be surgical black, it may just be a run of the mill hard Arkie, I've no idea. I know it puts one hell of an edge on a blade, but it's also got an inclusion of something hard sticking out that I can't quite clean out so it's been sidelined as a razor hone.

I think a quality surgical/truehard/translucent might be the next hone I pick up. But I doubt it will happen soon.

Edit: when I do use my Arkansas hones, it's often with (new) motor oil. Mostly because it's free and I've got it lying around everywhere.

Again thanks for the input.

Got some Smiths with the stone, WD 40 is easy to come by and also got some Ballistol (anybody here use that?) - so there's plenty to try.

regards

Arkansas stones are all I ever used they were the easiest stones to acquire here in Texas before the internet. I hardly ever get to set a bevel anymore. My razors do not seem to get dull enough for anything other than honing, and I use a translucent for that job. I make about six passes and the straight razor will squeak like a mouse. When this happens that is all the feed back required. No need for any hanging hair test just strop the razor and shave. Next day strop the razor and shave, and so on. I have never had to lap an Arkansas stone either in my life time. I had to repair one that I bought cheap because it had a saw mark in one side. In my opinion you can't go wrong with Arkansas stones.

If you use razors, and especially if you use a proper oil, I don't think you WILL ever need to lap an arkansas, maybe a soft ark... but like AlienEdge said, I rarely have to re set a bevel, I am luck enough so far not to have dropped a razor or banged the edge on something. If I was to set a bevel, I would definitely go for my water stones. I just refreshed my dovo, took it to the 8k super stone until the convexing from the stropping was gone, and did a solid 280 plus laps on my black dans ark, edge is freaking awesome!
Some of my razors like the arkansas stone better than others. I have one particular razor here that just loves synthetic stones and super fine stropping compounds... it will accept nothing else.

oh man, this thread is getting me going. I have a surgical black on my house that I don't use because I couldn't get it flat. Very nice, black stone. I will finish on a Norton 8K tonight and test this stone. I never had success before, but I will try again.

Bring on the Netflix!

Originally Posted by tcrideshd

Dans are pretty close, he and his son do a fine job of giving you a flat surface, but it is far from prepped, you need to burnish it to get a smooth edge on a razor. But they will give a decent edge if the stone is done right. A little side note, go to Dans if you ever get a chance great people and will give you the nickel tour for nothing, I stop by every time I,m in hot springs. Tc

^this. They do nothing the other guys do or have ever done. I have been to Dans and have purchased in bulk rough stones as well as got a tour of the entire operation, (Yes I spent several thousand that day) I also purchased one of the laping machines from them (It was one they acquired when they purchased out a closed quary, but more or less identical to the ones they use now, I am able to do the same flat surface on the hundreds of rough Arkie's I have from my own garage using the same machine. When I sell them I do spend the extra time and progressively take the lap all the way to 2000grit wet dry paper, then diamond paste on nano cloth, then burnish.

You can lap an ark flat in 15-20 minutes, with 60 grit loose Silicon Oxide and a steel cookie sheet from the dollar store and a flat piece of cement floor.

For about $15, you can buy a progression of loose Silicone Oxide grit, from 60 to 500 grit, from GotGrit.com, you will only need a couple teaspoons of each grit, maybe more for the 60 grit. Once you get flat, it goes quickly, just a few minutes on each grit. Mark a grid on the stone, with a sharpie, pencil will just wash off with the slurry. Finish on Wet and Dry, 600, 800 and 1 & 2k, then burnish.

But, it does not have to be perfectly flat to work, try it first. Burnish it with a large carbon steel knife, I use a cleaver I bought at a flea market for a dollar, any large carbon steel knife will work.

Surprisingly, if you finish the edge on an 8 or 12k, first, you can put a very nice hazy, kasumi bevel with a burnished Ark, in less than 200 laps. It’s a bit more work, but not really, all that much.

I agree with most of Euclids thoughts, as long as its not completely dished out, lapping with 60 grit does not take long at all, however when I take mine up to fine grits of sandpaper as he stated, I get to a point where the ark literally does nothing anymore. I prefer to break in the surface after 300 grit sic powder with backs of chisels or what have you. Not saying the other way is wrong though, do whatever works!
Have fun, watch some Sparticus on Netflix, it helps with the honing.