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  1. #1
    Senior Member joshb1000's Avatar
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    Default Smiths tri stone

    I was in Lowes today and I noticed this tri stone hone in the tool dept. obviously it's made for sharpening tools and such, but could it work for a straight? Any help is appreciated, this is the link:

    Arkansas Sharpening Stones Set | Featuring fine, medium, & course Arkansas Stones | Smith's - The Edge Experts

  2. #2
    I Bleed Slurry Disburden's Avatar
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    I would think they would be too rough to work on razors, Ark stones usually aren't good for razors unless they are the clear translucent ones that are lightly colored and most of the members here still wouldn't use them for their razors, others have different opinions.

  3. #3
    Senior Member blabbermouth JimmyHAD's Avatar
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    If it did I guarantee there would be threads and post saying it does. I've seen the question asked before. I've never had one so cannot speak from hands on experience but my intuition tells me it wouldn't be good for the fine edge of a razor.
    Be careful how you treat people on your way up, you may meet them again on your way back down.

  4. #4
    Silky Smooth
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    Yes; I have one that I actually got from Lowes and it has worked well for me.

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    Take a look at the quoted grits:

    Grit:

    Medium Arkansas - 600 Grit
    Fine Arkansas - 1,000 Grit
    Coarse Synthetic
    If you want to reset bevels, those stones will work (though they are smaller than the bench-size Nortons, and will take careful work to avoid creating frowning edges).

    If you want to hone, they're useless -- too coarse. The "honing" stone many people use is a Norton "combination hone" with 4000 and 8000 grit surfaces.

    I started out using sandpaper and microabrasive sheets. Cheap if you're only doing a few razors. But they're no "easier to use" than stones -- the same learning curve for both. There's a good article in the Wiki about them.

    Charles

  6. #6
    Senior Member joshb1000's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JeffR View Post
    Yes; I have one that I actually got from Lowes and it has worked well for me.
    So then is it reasonable to pick one up in order to maintain razors, not for restoring a damaged or ruined edge?

  7. #7
    Silky Smooth
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    Quote Originally Posted by joshb1000 View Post
    So then is it reasonable to pick one up in order to maintain razors, not for restoring a damaged or ruined edge?
    It is entirely reasonable to use one to both maintain and restore razors. I've used mine for both purposes for a couple of years now, and haven't felt the need for anything else.

    I should note that practice is important. I learned to use Arkansas stones from my father over 40 years ago and have been using them ever since. As a young man he was a barber, so showed me how to hone knives and straight razors on a Ouachita stone. (I wish I had paid more attention at the time but Trac II razors were more appealing, so had to re-learn some things when I picked up the straight razor a few years ago.)

    I have found that the grit rating of a sharpening medium is relatively unimportant. Please don't misunderstand - the finer the stone the easier it can be to get a fine edge, especially for a beginner. Arkansas stones however have the characteristic that they both grind and burnish metal. That allows one to get a very fine edge - much finer than might be expected based on just their nine-micron-ish particle size.

  8. The Following User Says Thank You to JeffR For This Useful Post:

    joshb1000 (01-18-2011)

  9. #8
    Senior Member joshb1000's Avatar
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    Thanks for the heads up, i may pick one up, simply for the fact that if i dont like it , i'm only out 30 dollars. Mine if i contact you for tips if i do get it?

  10. #9
    Senior Member blabbermouth Kees's Avatar
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    Arkansas hones are very very very slow.

    I have used a surgical black to get a nice edge but nowadays I prefer other hones (Gnats, Bnats and Jnats).
    Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose. Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr.

  11. #10
    Hones & Honing randydance062449's Avatar
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    The various Arkansas stones have been a subject in many threads. As of yet there has been no definitive conclusion. It seems that those who have been shaving a long time ( 20 + years ) and started honing on them have accepted them as providing a reasonable shaving edge. So you can try it if you wish but don't be surprised if it is a very slow process and results in an edge that can be easily beaten by a number of other hones.

    Good luck,
    Randolph Tuttle, a SRP Mentor for residents of Minnesota & western Wisconsin

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