Arkansas translucent stone question

[DOOM]

Hi Gents,

I recently won the March Giveaway and in the prize there's a Arkansas translucent hone. I want to know if I should use her as a finishing stone or more of a ''quick fix'' barberhone style?? I dont know nothing about that kind of stone. Thanks.

For reference I have a Norton 4/8K, a12K Japstone and two ceramic hones 5-8K.

cheers

[JimmyHAD]

AFIK there is nothing "quick" about an Arkansas when applied to razors. I may be wrong though, I was wrong once before.

[DOOM]

Ok, I think you get it wrong. What I want to know is in wich categories does it goes. Is it a finishing stone?

[gssixgun]

It is a finisher, "Allegedly" as with any natural stone, each stone has it's own character, so it needs to be worked to see what it can do, try it first after the 8k Norton has the razor shave ready...
I would suggest 75 laps with a real honing oil as a starting point and work from there...

[Bruce]

I have used a black Arkansas to finish a razor and it worked ok. It and the translucent are supposed to be rough equivalents. I've hoped that someone with both hones and a good microscope and camera set-up could show scratch patterns of the Arkansas hones with comparisons of the scratch patterns of other finishing hones, both natural and manufactured. With one person using one razor it would be a wonderful demonstration of the comparative fineness of various stones - irrespective of their supposed grit ratings.

Ah, the things we wish for. Hmmm?

[JimmyHAD]

I've got a nice vintage Pike translucent and i really should test it out with a razor. I like it for my pocket knives. A forum member who hasn't been around in the last few years, Russel Baldridge, has posted a bit on honing razors with arks and he said they are not bad, not great , but very slow in any case. Just hearsay but that is my story and I'm sticking to it.

[TheZ]

I have one and I will offer two observations.

One is that it is slow, super slow. Mine is certainly a finisher though, I have not noticed the water darkening on top of it even in long honing sessions. Not all may be like this though, from what I hear it has a large part to do with how the surface of the stone is prepared and worn - the smoother the stone, the finer the finish.

Second point is to compare the edge to what I get off my coticule - personally I find that shaving off it has a little more "bitey" feel than the coticule which is smoother feeling, although it does not leave my skin any worse off. It gets a little closer than the coticule as well, I think this particular stone compared to my particular coticule gives more "ultimate sharpness" at least with my hair/skin. YMMV.

[rjezuit]

Look on Youtube under Mastro Livi and snake razor. he finishes on one.

[Neil Miller]

... I may be wrong though, I was wrong once before.

I seem to recall that time Jimmy - I think my grandad recorded it in his diary along with something about a place called "Wall Street" and a terrible crash or something...

[ezpz]

once a surgical black or translucent ark is lapped flat, other folks would recommend finishing them with a much higher grit paper than 120 or 325, or to break them in well with a kitchen knife. the surface of the stone will become even smoother, and will cut more finely as a result.
the same advice is given for charnley forests which, like arkansas, are also made of novaculite.
this isnt coming from experience but i believe it to be true.