Thread: Hone Identification?

From other pictures it looks like maybe an Arkansas stone of some type but I was wondering if I could get a confirmation. The stone is very smooth and has some shiny flakes throughout.

well i know its not a translucent ,black or hard ark but judging by the color i would say its a soft ark

You are the second person to tell me that. I'll have to do some reading. Is this stone usable for razors? A bevel setter?

yes its a great bevel setter a soft ark not only cuts it also polishes as it cuts. so the scratch pattern is nice for a stone in that grit range ( us sand paper 450 grit water stone 600 grit and microns 22 ) each stone is unique because they are naturals so the grit range will vary some what .

I have one of a similar color. That thing is as hard as a witches teat. I determined that it was a quachita pronounced washita.

Here is the thread:

http://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...id-please.html

Originally Posted by Miner123

From other pictures it looks like maybe an Arkansas stone of some type but I was wondering if I could get a confirmation. The stone is very smooth and has some shiny flakes throughout.

How do you describe the shiny flakes?
None of my Arkies have 'flakes' in them....

In general you can coax a good edge out of an Arkie with
a light touch and in some cases by using thicker or
thinner oil. If your hone is used as a water hone then
water or lather can be used to adjust the tooth.

An Arkie is not going to be equal to a 4/8K Norton
but in the right hand can still hone a razor well.

It can help to condition the surface by exercising the
surface with a block of steel.

I have discovered that common white tooth paste can make
a light slurry equivalent on barber hones and give a good edge
and it might also help an Arkie.

I'm not sure how to describe the flakes. They are shiny like a darker crystal and seem to be fairly evenly distributed throughout. I'll see If I can get my camera to take a better picture.

i have a few washita's a washita is another type of soft ark but has more pore's and it is a coarser stone looking at the grain of that stone im sure thats a soft ark

Originally Posted by Miner123

I'm not sure how to describe the flakes. They are shiny like a darker crystal and seem to be fairly evenly distributed throughout. I'll see If I can get my camera to take a better picture.

Take it for a test drive.

Hone a razor or kitchen knife with a hone you know
and then apply the unknown hone and see if it improves
the edge.

It is also possible to hone a small block of steel to a
polish then run it over the unknown hone and inspect
the scratch pattern or compare to another known.

Originally Posted by niftyshaving

Take it for a test drive.

Hone a razor or kitchen knife with a hone you know
and then apply the unknown hone and see if it improves
the edge.

It is also possible to hone a small block of steel to a
polish then run it over the unknown hone and inspect
the scratch pattern or compare to another known.

This post just cleared up some of the mystery for me. I've been picking up stones at sales and wondering how I'd go about checking them. Now I know. Thanks.