Thread: Arkansas Stones

Ps. I think marble or too soft for lapping plate.... granite or quartzite is best. You can often get i for free at counter top shops, Or granite tile cheap at tile stores.... bring straight edge with you when looking.....

The marble did ware down but I stayed in the one channel and it served its purpose.

I just honed 2 blades. Joseph R / T.I Spartacus.
Both had the same treatment . 1k Bevel set. 3 x 20 laps , Tenjou , Koma , Tomo. That produces a great edge on the Ozuku.
Then I gave them 20 laps on the Arkansas with soapy water . Soapy water felt better than the oil for me.

I took some pics but I cant see any difference. I don't know what im expecting , not an improvement but a difference is what im hoping for. Come Wednesday I will shave with them.
Joseph Rodgers Tomo


Joseph Rodgers Arkansas Finish


T.I Tomo


T.I Arkansas Finish

Love my arkies, Joe-Funny thing about them is (at least for me), I keep on learning them, and my edges just keep getting better. There is no other finisher like a hard/SB/trans ark; I almost feel that you can keep on learning and tweaking edges on them, and they just keep getting more keen, crisp and smooth all in 1 edge-I never feel like I'm completely "done," or that I've overcooked an edge.

Try this on a well-burnished ark:
1.Hone under lightly running tap water, back and forth with some edge torque (depending on the grind), about 50 strokes back and forth or until you feel stiction. Finish up with some light x-strokes.
2. Turn off the faucet, add a drop of dish detergent and do the same thing until you feel stiction; again, follow up with more lighter x-strokes.
3. Finally, clean and dry your blade and hone, and apply about a quarter's worth of your favorite honing oil (WD-40 for me). More back and forths and x-strokes until, if your bevel edges are super-polished and flat, you can even feel stiction on the oil.
4. Finish up with some lighter x-strokes to even it all.
5. Strop as normal after a finisher; this means a progression of progressively-finer strops for me (rough kangaroo to cordovan shell, about 15-20 strokes on each strop across my strop rack).
6. Enjoy the legendary arkie edge!

This progression isn't set in stone (pun intended). I am always tinkering with it, and arkies will give up spectacular edges with all kinds of methods. I just find this method quicker and easier than the classic hundreds of strokes some do. Having said that, I am testing some new methods on a new arkie I am playing with. Enjoy, and let us know how it goes.

Oh, and yeah, flattening and burnishing an ark sucks! Better rest up from that. I for one would like to see some more of your gorgeous restores with the lined wedges. You inspired me to try that, and I can only hope to someday be anywhere near your level!

Aaron

edit: On looking further at that monster 12"x3" hone, your stroke counts would no doubt be modified by your experienced hands; my longest ark is 8"x3". TBH, I really estimate more than I count, and sometimes I just hone by feel and don't count anything. From what I've seen on your website, you could probably hone on any rock ever mined, so I'm sure you'll do awesome work on an arkie!

Thanks for that info and compliments .
I will give your method a bash this week. Then I will try it over again with the Translucent.
Also this week I will be working on a new customisation . Hopefully this one will be special , you will see it here
Thanks again.
Joe

Originally Posted by JOB15

Thanks for that info and compliments .
I will give your method a bash this week. Then I will try it over again with the Translucent.
Also this week I will be working on a new customisation . Hopefully this one will be special , you will see it here
Thanks again.
Joe

I can't wait to see your latest work, Joe. And thanks for the new saying: I'm sure my friends and family will quickly grow tired of me saying "I will give your method a bash" in the coming weeks. You Brits and your sayings just kill me. And for what it's worth, I fell in love with your London a couple of summers ago-can't wait to go back! Aaron

Originally Posted by ScoutHikerDad

I can't wait to see your latest work, Joe. And thanks for the new saying: I'm sure my friends and family will quickly grow tired of me saying "I will give your method a bash" in the coming weeks. You Brits and your sayings just kill me. And for what it's worth, I fell in love with your London a couple of summers ago-can't wait to go back! Aaron

Thanks ..I will try to use more sayings in the future then you can let the family suffer more

After much experimentation, I have moved away from burnishing my SB and translucent arkies. Just did not see/feel the benefit on my beard.

For me and my stones, the 'fresh' 1500 grit lapped surface on the finishing side provides fantastic edges. The non-finishing side is SIC lapped to 600 but I seldom use that side.

The effects of burnishing vary greatly depending on the preparation of the stone, the razor edge and technique.

Once the stone is flat and smooth finished to 600 grit or higher, it is easy to re-set the face at any grit from 600 to well burnished in a few minutes with Wet and Dry. How it looks or feel, matters less than how it performs for you.

If you are having issues, first ensure the stone is flat, no amount of polishing will correct an out of flat stone with an unpolished pocket. Repeated grid marking with a Sharpie will tell you, pencil will wash off with slurry. Inexpensive 60 grit Silicone Oxide will quickly get you to flat.

The goal is the shave, however you get there.

I myself will not burnish using a buffing wheel. Far too much chance of ruining the perfect flat I worked so hard to achieve!
I wish I had a huge-ass stone like that. Maybe one day...
That said, my stones are brought to perfect flat, and then burnished by way of a machined flat hardened bloc of steel. Those stones are final finishers only.
Then there are the other stones, which are brought flat, and then I use them with nagura, just because I can! No point in burnishing those, as the slurry undoes that in a hurry.
Keep in mind, there is a difference between a "hard" ark, and a "true hard" ark. I go with density rather than designations. Do the math on yours, and you can put them in a line up as an experiment.
Enjoy the hell out of those stones, They are as much a unique and fun to use hone as Jnats
More Photos please =D

I am testing 2 x surgical black and a Translucent . The white hard I will leave alone for the time being.
So the only way to find out if they are hard or true hard or as some one mentioned they could be just black sold as surgical black, is through honing.

Shame I cant just weigh them and do the math ..

I will add pictures and show my progress.

cheers guys.