Thread: I think I got an Arkie

I got this one off Ebay with a razor, and I think it might be an Arkie. I'd been hoping it was just a very dirty coticule, but oh well.

She's about 2.5 x 8.5. I think I have the pale side just about lapped, but the other side has some shallow gouges in the brown area and scratches at two corners and since I only have a DMTC I'm not gonna push it. No slurry was visible while lapping under the sink, and she's quite hard. There are also lots of little shiny spots in the surface - not sure what those are. Smell is almost floral and a bit earthy, like a mild soap. Tastes like she smells (Just kidding, I've yet to put a hone in my mouth).

Here are some pictures.

Originally Posted by holli4pirating

Tastes like she smells (Just kidding, I've yet to put a hone in my mouth).

Ummm you don't know what you're missing !!

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Ummm you don't know what you're missing !!

Do Swaty's actually taste like chocolate? Mine reminds me of a Hershey bar.

Originally Posted by holli4pirating

No slurry was visible while lapping under the sink, and she's quite hard.

This sounds like it could be a Hard Arkansas.

Originally Posted by holli4pirating

There are also lots of little shiny spots in the surface - not sure what those are. Smell is almost floral and a bit earthy, like a mild soap.

This doesn't at all.

In the pictures to me it looks like a sandstone of some kind. Have you got a close-up of the side?

Here are some edge pictures. Keep in mind that I've not lapped the edges at all, so there is some "stuff" on them. That white stuff scratches off. And those dark lines, they are like scratches into the hone. There are similar scratches on one of the faces. And in the last picture you can kinda see the sparkles - it's closeup of one of the faces.

Especially that last picture does look like sandstone to me. The dark spots are oil remnants? The way oil penetrates sandstone (or partially soaks out with cleaning) looks a bit like ink blots, whereas the pattern in Arkansas is more gradual, more uniform. The ovoid scratches at both ends and the shape of the chips at the corners seem to be more like those in sandstone too. In Arkansas they are, imle, more glass- or silex-like. As for the hardness: lapping is often impaired by old oil.

But the proof of the pudding is in the eating - how does it perform?

Thanks for the input, Olden. I'm not totally sure about performance yet. I've rubbed a bit of steel against her (the outside of a swiss army knockoff that says "Stainless China" on one blade). Stratches look quite shallow, and the look of the metal is hazy mirrored. Lots of blackening on the hone (I suspect it's rather soft metal) Before trying the side of the knife, I'd tried with a junker blade, but no steel was showing up on the hone, so I'm assuming this must be quite a slow cutter.

Doesn't seem like she'll be of any use to me in honing, but I guess time will tell. I'll post back here with updates (if and when there are any).