Thread: Arkansas Stones - Oil or water?

Originally Posted by jfk742

The razor I’ve been mostly playing on the stone is a Wester Bros,” Manganese Steel” is stamped on the tang. Finished off a naniwa 12k it’s a great shave. I’ve done a lot playing with finishing with this razor and I’m really familiar with it. Seemed like a logical place to start with the Arkansas.

The stone is a Dan’s. I got it used. It’s flat. When I got it it barely reflected light. I’ve spent a good deal of time rubbing the bevel of a chisel on it with water and glycerin as a lube. I’ve finished the razor maybe 7-8 times on this stone. I go back to the 12k and flatten the bevels, kill the edge on the side of the hone then bring it back with some slurry, with a loupe and some arm hair cutting I get the edge to where it normally is when I’m done with the 12k then head to the Arkansas.

Personally, I can't see any issues with your surface; it looks to be well-burnished, with radiused edges, etc. As Marty says, maybe that hard Ark is not capable of as fine a finish as a true SB or Translucent (though I've heard anecdotally that they can be). I guess a specific gravity test would tell.

Another possibility to try with a heavier grind that you don't mind experimenting on (I believe a Wester Bros. is more of a hollow ground IIRC) is this: pressure/torque. I have found that I can get away with quite a bit more edge torque on my very-fine surfaced SB and Trans Arks, as it is really doing more burnishing than true cutting. Seriously, I bear down on the edge to a degree that might shock some (on a beefy blade at any rate, which most of mine are). I have never had the slightest bit of edge deformation or bevel widening doing this (again with the disclaimer that I am only doing this on heavy grinds). Of course I gradually lighten up on the finishing x-strokes on WD-40. Of course all of this presupposes proper honing strokes so that one doesn't wreck an edged on these ultra-hard stones. But having said that, I throw in a little of every stroke on the arks: back and forths, big circles, x-strokes (more towards the end to even things out).

And before any guardians of "the proper techniques" start piling on, of course I would never do this on any other finisher, but this has been a true revelation and process of discovery for me on my Arks. Just another thing to try-let us know how it goes.