Thread: Arkansas

Arkansas’, like other finishers aren’t magical. Very dependent on technique and experience, more so with an Ark. you may want to look on Dans website, generally their prices are as good or better, plus their cs is top notch, they take pride in their products and the customers who buy them. Try giving them a call and tell them your budget, you may get more stone for your money.

I have a 1/2x3x8 Dan’s surgical that was flat enough my qualified straight edge showed no light under it any direction. My other Ark, a vintage Pike translucent 1x2x8, finishes about the same for feel and keenness. Feel is close with the translucent Being more smooth feeling when honing both were “finished” at 1k with a ton of burnishing with chisels and plane irons. For my face that’s the finish I ended up with. I would try stopping at 600 grit and run a razor with a newly honed edge across it about 100 laps and test shave it. If it’s not keen enough try stepping up the finish on the stone with some burnishing with a carbon steel knife or tool, use some pressure too, not like chip your edge pressure but firm pressure and make sure you get all the way out to the edge of the stone too, when burnishing.

It takes a little time to dial in an Ark but worth it, imo. Lubricants are a totally different matter and will also change the feel of the edge to some degree. It is all preference no matter what the finishing stone is. I find I get a longer lasting edge coming off an 8k as opposed to a 12k but it takes more laps for me to get where I like my edge. I like Smith’s honing solution and slowly dilute from straight water to only smiths by the end of the honing session.

Agree on the Smith's.

I find Arks to be funny things. Very low feedback. Not a huge investment for a prime finishing stone (you can get second hand Dan's stones that are dead flat). Buy from Dan's or another top tier company, or else you'll spend hours flattening.

They work, but can be fairly unforgiving for a new honer. I recommend sticking with your synthetics for awhile and then getting a natural finisher once you've dialed that in. I'm more of a JNat fan; more flexibility, great feedback, smooth yet keen edges... bigger investment though. Just my 2c.

Hi guys,

While I am impatiently waiting for my new Transulecent Ark I thought of a question or two.

I tape the spine on my razors with one layer of electrical tape plus Kapton tape on everything from 1k to 12k (Nortons and Naniwa).

Should I also tape the spine on the Arkinsas? I was thinking that it might make sure the bevel still touched the stone as the angle would be the same.

I have heard that some of you use washing up liquid and some use honing oil while others of you use mineral oil.

I wondered what was considered the best, I have a bottle of Wahl Clipper Oil which is 100% mineral oil acording to the bottle. Could I use that?

Can I use just water or even use it dry?

Is there anything I could do to hurt it?

As to your questions. If you hone up the progression w/tape you will need to finish w/the same to keep the edge angle consistent finishing the edge of the previously established bevel.
As far as honing lubricants-mediums there are many that work well. I think there are allot of variables with stone surface condition being high on the list. I find that generally the more viscus the medium the slower the stone will effect the edge.
Experimentation is fun and useful, I've done this w/many different liquids - some that I prefer are Balistol & water mix, water & dish detergent, mineral oil - I often dilute this w/ mineral spirits.
I have also used WD40, Balistol un-diluted, Smiths honing solution and glycerin & water. You can use just water, if used dry I think the surface w/clog quickly and need to be re-dressed to start cutting again. These stones do not really absorb much so there is little chance of damaging your stone by using different mediums on them, clean them off after use.
Get your new stone flat first and then surfaced to at least 6oo grit - you may choose to experiment with stone surface also, let the experimentation begin.

Originally Posted by FranfC

As far as honing lubricants-mediums there are many that work well. I think there are allot of variables with stone surface condition being high on the list. I find that generally the more viscus the medium the slower the stone will effect the edge.
Experimentation is fun and useful, I've done this w/many different liquids - some that I prefer are Balistol & water mix, water & dish detergent, mineral oil - I often dilute this w/ mineral spirits.
I have also used WD40, Balistol un-diluted, Smiths honing solution and glycerin & water. You can use just water, if used dry I think the surface w/clog quickly and need to be re-dressed to start cutting again. These stones do not really absorb much so there is little chance of damaging your stone by using different mediums on them, clean them off after use.
Get your new stone flat first and then surfaced to at least 6oo grit - you may choose to experiment with stone surface also, let the experimentation begin.

Does an Arkansas need to be soaked before use?

No, it's not a water-stone. Yes, use the same taping regime you used up through 12k. Maybe even try an extra layer to do a micro-bevel for an edge that seems to need something more. I'm sure that clipper oil would work just fine. But by all means experiment with different honing fluids. As I've said, I like soapy water or shaving lather on a trans, but that could change after trying something else.

So yeah, by all means experiment. Arkies lend themselves to that more than almost any other stone. But while you're learning it, maybe only change one variable at a time so that you know what is causing any changes. And there's not much you can do to hurt an Arkie besides dropping it on a hard surface. As hard as they are, they can also fracture more easily than you think.

Originally Posted by STF

Does an Arkansas need to be soaked before use?

No, these stones are not porous so you can wash them before storing.
How you prep the stones surface once flat has quite an effect on how the stone may behave, yet another way to experiment.

LOL, can I ask another question?

I have been thinking about different mediums that people use on their Arks, I have also been consuming YouTube at a ridiculous rate.

My question, after using oil, soap or anything thats not just water. How do you strop immediately after?

I can't imagine stropping a razor on my leather or cotton that I've just been honing with oil etc.

I wipe my freshly-honed edge after a session on WD-40 with tissue paper. (But first, rub off some of the tape residue with, yep, WD-40). Alcohol or another solvent on tp should get any remaining tape/oil residue. You definitely don't want any of that on any strop!

Well you should always at least rinse the razor off before stropping anyway. You can embed grit from the stones or metal shavings / filings into your strop if you don't. Preferably wash it with soap and water.
I personally prefer to use something water-based (as a lubricant on arks) since especially with electrical tape the oil-based lubricants dissolve the adhesive in the tape and make it sticky which can cause the tape to slide or get the stickiness on your stone even. In particular WD-40 does that although WD-40 is one that I prefer so...there's that. It's just an annoyance more than anything. By the way, Brontosaurus' advice about not washing the grit down the drain also applies to your synthetic stones if you use the flattening stone. You can get a rock in your drain pipes like that. I take them outside and wash them off with a hose.