Thread: New Arkansas stones...

My last 2 edges--the ones I've done since having my Arkies--are the finest I've produced. I don't have a microscope. I go off of how good a job they do shaving and how they feel on the face. Microscope pictures are very interesting and I love looking at them but I do not consider them the final word. IMHO a shave test trumps a microscope photo.

Originally Posted by sbogill

My last 2 edges--the ones I've done since having my Arkies--are the finest I've produced. I don't have a microscope. I go off of how good a job they do shaving and how they feel on the face. Microscope pictures are very interesting and I love looking at them but I do not consider them the final word. IMHO a shave test trumps a microscope photo.

I agree I just got the microscope for fathers day. I have been using the arkies for a long time. I have not had a razor pull hair and I haven't had any razor burn in a very very long time. These are good finishing stones.

I would be interested in getting a nice but inexpensive USB microscope. At the moment I have a 60x loupe and a 100x pocket microscope. My eyes aren't what they once were and it would be nice looking on a computer screen instead of having to squint through a tiny hole. I didn't mean to disrespect your new Father's Day gift microscope. I only meant to say that the shave test is ultimate test.

My son took me to see The Conjuring 2 for Father's Day and my daughter got me a King 1k/6k stone. Nice for edge work and rapid bevel setting.


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Originally Posted by J743

Marshall, was it you who said SiC powder works well on a cookie sheet? I have a granite slab but I like the idea of using a wider cookie sheet more. Sounds cleaner.

I might have parroted it somewhere, but the advice most likely came from Euclid. It's one of his tricks that I've yet to try, thought this large translucent of mine may force me into giving it a shot yet. Speaking of, now might not be a bad time to pick at that rock some more...

Originally Posted by Euclid440

How many laps are you doing? 200 is not unusual.

80 will work

I just noticed the laps question. I do about six to twelve laps on the finishing stone, ten to twelve laps on the linen, and that amount on the leather strop. I had read some of the old barber hones boxes stating you only need to make a few strokes on this hone to produce a non pulling edge. I use to think it was a sells pitch, I don't anymore. I am talking about honing not sharpening. I don't know how many for bevel setting I do.

If you lap a stone on a perfectly flat granite plate, with 60 or 80 grit Silicon Carbide, it won’t be perfectly flat any more…

A STEEL cookie sheet will contain the slurry and if on a flat surface like a flat cement floor, you can use your body weight. Put the sheet on the granite plate, if you like. Make sure it is a steel sheet not aluminum. And use a sharpie to mark the grid on the stone.

Originally Posted by AlienEdge

I just noticed the laps question. I do about six to twelve laps on the finishing stone, ten to twelve laps on the linen, and that amount on the leather strop. I had read some of the old barber hones boxes stating you only need to make a few strokes on this hone to produce a non pulling edge. I use to think it was a sells pitch, I don't anymore. I am talking about honing not sharpening. I don't know how many for bevel setting I do.

Wait a minute there, when you say barber hone boxes do you mean actual synthetic barber hones, or Arkansas stones that were sold to barbers for honing? Because the 2 are very different animals. Synthetic barber hones are made with (typically) Aluminum Oxide grit, and usually coarse stuff that's in the ball park of 600 grit. The only reason they seem to cut so fine is how little of that coarse grit it sticking up over the binding material. Which is also why they're scary fast.

Then again, I've seen a video of Mastro Livi going through his progression. I did count how many strokes he did on his translucent, but it was probably less than 20. I found that surprising because you always see people talking about doing 100+ laps on these stones.

Barber hones are synthetic. Arkansas stones are natural. Both can be use as finishing stones and should be. I don't not do progression one stone will work after the razor is sharpened properly. One stone barber hone or Arkansas stone.

I don't see the point in a hundred laps either. I have seen on the site where people give other people advice or recommend 40 laps of this and 20 laps of that I don't agree with it because I think it causes people to set and count 1, 2, 3, .....41 !!!!!!!!! Possibly like a boy scout trying to build a fire. Then they find something is not working out.

I can agree with what alienedge is saying. With my 3-stone Arkansas stone progression I can tell you that each higher grit stone takes exponentially less strokes. By the time I get to the black it doesn't take very many strokes at all. I never really counted. I go by the feel of the blade on the stone. When the draw on the stone goes down to zero you know you are finished.

It makes me think I just need a 2-stone progression instead but I have these three now and I'm going to use them.


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