Thread: New Arkansas stones...

The number of laps you need on a finishing Ark, like a Hard Black or Translucent, depend on the preparation of the bevel up to that point and the prep on the finish stone. Burnished stones are slower, but finer cutting.

If you are doing full Ark progression, you will need to do more finish laps, depending on how many you did on the middle stone, the transition stone.

The first stone the bevel setter, shapes the bevels and leaves deep stria. The middle stone, begins the polishing process, removing the deep stria and straightening the edge, (transitioning from shaping to polishing). The finish stone removes the middle stones stria and straightens the edge further, for a silky smooth shaving edge. If you leave deep stria on the bevel, you will have a chippy edge.

Now days, I use an Ark, to finish after a 12K or even a 20kGS. So, the edge is very finished/polished and probably going backwards in grit. The number of laps needed is not as many, because the only stria on the bevel is 12 or 20k. The finished bevel shows no stria and is a hazy (Kazumi) bevel and the edge laser straight and chip free.

The number of laps depends on what the edge needs and what was done up to that point. Just look at it. The bevels could feel smooth on the stone and the edge can still be chippy, depending on what was done in the progression.

Micro bevels work very well with hard Arks also, because of the slow cutting of a burnished stone. Just finish on a synthetic up to 8 or 12k, then add a layer of tape and do 5-10 laps on the finishing Ark. You should have a very narrow secondary bevel and a keen smooth edge.

I am really fascinated by honing theory and microscopic pictures of razor edges. I love it. But what really matters to me the most is how an edge feels on my face. Once my edge passes a HHT pretty easy various points along the edge I strop and shave test. If it doesn't tug or feel harsh then good enough for me. At that point the way the stria look or the direction they point don't matter to me. Not trying to be argumentative here just trying to keep it real.


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I am not sure how to word this but use your hard Arkansas it shouldn't take very much time at all before you can feel of the razor's edge with your thumb pad and if you think you can shave off of just the hard Arkansas you have it. You can actually shave with just the hard Arkansas if you wanted to but I don't recommend it because of the after shave burn. Then go to your finisher black or translucent. I don't use tape and I don't use oil . These things stop all communication with the stone. My point is I can't get feed back with all that stuff. My razor will get traction in 3 passes, sometimes the first pass with no pressure. People on the site want to recommend pressure. Not me I go slow and with no pressure like a spider monitoring its web I want to feel any difference that takes place while honing.

Well, reality is your shaves and edges will be infinitely better a year from now, after you have honed a few razors and have more than a month of shave under your belt.

I am always fascinated by new guys that discount facts and claim to be able to “feel” an edge on the stones, in the name of, “keeping it real”. Well, maybe you can, problem is other new guys, believe it and think they should be getting the magic feel and beat their heads against the wall.

If you are happy with your edges, good, but really, how many razors have you honed on your Arks in 5 days?

Photos don’t lie, a chippy edge is not the most comfortable edge.

I've honed 3 and shaved with 3 and had clean comfortable shaved with each of them. The number of microscopic photographs I've taken in the same amount of time: 0


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The edge will actually stick

Like I said, a year from now, your edges and shave will be infinitely better.

Stick with it and enjoy.

I have been shaving with them for years. I don't get a bad shave.

Man I look forward to it. I sincerely hope you are right. May I take it then that you have years of experience honing on Arkansas stones? Then if you don't know what I'm talking about when I say that you can feel the draw on the stone become lighter then that would make me suspect of your skills and/or technique. Again I'm not trying to be argumentative. If anything you are the one who went kind of nasty with regard to the newbie comments.


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Originally Posted by sbogill

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.

Yep

My thought is almost the same,, Magnification can find issues,,, but it cannot tell you how the edge "Feels"