Thread: Translucent Ark?

Originally Posted by Paulbuck

Slippery slope, you'll want to feel it following a good hard Ark next.

Curious by this remark. The Ark. Translucent and Hard Black (aka: surgical black) are exactly the same "gravity" or hardness. Both are hardest of Arkansas stones.

Originally Posted by Longhaultanker

Curious by this remark. The Ark. Translucent and Hark Black (aka: surgical black) are exactly the same "gravity" or hardness. Both are hardest of Arkansas stones.

Natural progression of curiosity I guess. It only makes sense that you'd want to get a soft and hard Arkie to try the whole progression without touching a synthetic hone.

In regard to burnishing, I like to at least take a piece of hardened steel and run it across to ensure it has the surface that I want. Kind of a YMMV thing, if you like what it's doing to your razor feel free to let it ride. I'm a bit obsessive over how my hones are surfaced.

In terms of honing media: I like to make up my mind what will be used with a stone and stick to it. If I'm using oil, I just dry it up a bit with a paper towel or shop rag and call it good. No need to wash it with soap, the next time I pull it out its getting oiled again.

Nice stone.

On a vintage, new to you stone, try it before lapping or scrubbing with abrasives. Chances are after decades of use, it will already have a nice smooth burnished surface.

Do not use the Scotch Brite, you do want to burnishing/smooth the surface. I use large kitchen knives or my favorite, a large cleaver. It is easier on the hands and you can lay into it with pressure.

The goal is to smooth the surface. I do a combination of knife sharpening strokes, half lap, back and forth short and long strokes. Short, 1.5 inch, over lapping strokes working the knife down the stone with controlled pressure. Up and down the stone a few times. Then long, smooth strokes from end to end. You will feel the stone and the knife get smoother. Don’t try to burnish all in one session, just do some burnishing before honing until you get a surface you like.

Once the stone is clean of oil, it is easy to keep oil free. I have used water, dish soap, Ballistol, Smiths, WD40 and Mineral oil and Kerosene.

My favorites are water and Ballistol or Smith’s, just 2-3 drops on a wet stone. If you use oil, just wash it when done, with a squirt of Dawn dish soap in a plastic shoe box that I keep in the sink for soaking stones. A 10-15-minute soak and a scrubbing with a stiff brush and sponge in hot water will get and keep it clean.

Smith’s and Ballistol wash right off.

It is hard to hurt an Ark, they are rock… after all.
Then it is just a matter of learning your stone, experimenting with pressure. Yes, they are more aggressive than most folks think. Ark and Jnat edges are unique edges, there is a different, learning curve.

There IS a difference between a "Hard" ark, and a TRUE HARD ark. Myself, I go with the tried and true traditional density readings. If its less than a density of 2.5 its not a true hard, its just 'hard" My densest hard is a black, and next in line would be a small translucent like yours. (very pretty stone by the way)

I AM concerned with the use of a knife on your razor stone. Take a good look and make sure that you have not "dulled" your burnished finish. When it comes to my Arks, I have knife arks, and razor arks, and try not to mix them.
There are 2 really bad things about Ark stones... 1) if you need to lap it, its a PITA and 2 ) They are a prime cause of HAD!

Originally Posted by Longhaultanker

Curious by this remark. The Ark. Translucent and Hard Black (aka: surgical black) are exactly the same "gravity" or hardness. Both are hardest of Arkansas stones.

The hard ark I was referring to is not the surgical black, it would be a bit courser. In my progression it is Washita, Soft, Hard and Translucent. I got both my hard and translucent from Dan's and out of the box's the difference was distinct. Now after burnishing the translucent even more so. I've recently learned the importance of refreshing the soft and hard and it has made a huge difference in the performance of these hones. The translucent is left alone and not ever refreshed.

I'm learning these stones but have been working with them a lot lately and am a fan.

Paul

Originally Posted by Paulbuck

The hard ark I was referring to is not the surgical black, it would be a bit courser. In my progression it is Washita, Soft, Hard and Translucent. I got both my hard and translucent from Dan's and out of the box's the difference was distinct. Now after burnishing the translucent even more so. I've recently learned the importance of refreshing the soft and hard and it has made a huge difference in the performance of these hones. The translucent is left alone and not ever refreshed.

I'm learning these stones but have been working with them a lot lately and am a fan.

Paul

I keep one side of my tranny refreshed and one side burnished. It's like having two separate stones.

Originally Posted by kelbro

I keep one side of my tranny refreshed and one side burnished.

Kelbro-My inner 4th grader got a big laugh out of this. It could be misinterpreted by someone who doesn't know the lingo LOL.Thanks for the tip-I have read that elsewhere too.

Anyway, it just shave-tested the edge off of it. It was a good shave, but no noticeable improvement over the Nani12, so I'm not sure it was worth all that effort. Obviously I'll have to keep tinkering with it.

Thanks again-Aaron

Originally Posted by Magpie

There IS a difference between a "Hard" ark, and a TRUE HARD ark. Myself, I go with the tried and true traditional density readings. If its less than a density of 2.5 its not a true hard, its just 'hard" My densest hard is a black, and next in line would be a small translucent like yours. (very pretty stone by the way)

I AM concerned with the use of a knife on your razor stone. Take a good look and make sure that you have not "dulled" your burnished finish. When it comes to my Arks, I have knife arks, and razor arks, and try not to mix them.
There are 2 really bad things about Ark stones... 1) if you need to lap it, its a PITA and 2 ) They are a prime cause of HAD!

I think by and large this depends on when the Arkanstone was mined. If you find a Vintage "Hard" Arkansas, it may well be what we now call True Hard/Translucent/Surgical Black. Also the HAD is fact. I want a second set of bench stones, or maybe just a combination Soft/Surgical that I can use with oil.

I treat most of my naturals about like Kelbro. One side is typically burnished, or just allowed to go longer without a refresh. The other will be roughed up some/refreshed a bit more often. Makes each side behave much different, as others have mentioned.

Originally Posted by ScoutHikerDad

Kelbro-My inner 4th grader got a big laugh out of this. It could be misinterpreted by someone who doesn't know the lingo LOL.Thanks for the tip-I have read that elsewhere too.

Anyway, it just shave-tested the edge off of it. It was a good shave, but no noticeable improvement over the Nani12, so I'm not sure it was worth all that effort. Obviously I'll have to keep tinkering with it.

Thanks again-Aaron

Well, two things I see here. One is- that it is no small task to take an Arkenstone and get a 12k comparable edge with it. A 12k edge is hard to get on any natural stone especially your first try. The second is that the stone will only get better with use. And so will your ability. I am sure you expected a learning curve. Arkansas stones are an animal all to themselves. So many things affect the finished edge. They are very pressure sensitive, the burnish, how loaded they are, typed of lubricant, just to name a few.

Yup, with naturals, there is a learning curve, you have to learn, your stone.

An Ark edge should feel smooth and crisp, to me it always feels like the edge is right on the verge of being too keen, but there is no blood from weepers.

Like the second shave, with a feather blade.