Quote Originally Posted by Euclid440 View Post
“My Ark adventure should start these days.. got this from a friend to try.

Tips? This is the first Arkansas I'm handing.”


With old Arks, I just clean them and try them with a razor first before lapping. Chances are they have years of burnishing from use and lapping will just remove all of the finish.

Your stone probably needs to be burnished to produce a more refined edge. Also, as said do not use slurry. Try some Smith’s or Ballistol, just a couple drops on a wet stone, of even mineral oil, it will wash off with dish soap when finished honing, after burnishing with a large knife or tool steel.
+1 Your stone is probably plenty flat to use and by flattening more you will only remove years of burnish. If you do choose to rough it up then do one side and leave the other. I would leave both alone. These rocks are so hard they rarely go out of flat to the point that they would affect the razors edge negatively.