Thread: Sudden HAD attack. Worth being in the doghouse?

Any reviews on your new stone?

Arks don't get rated by grit, they're graded by their specific gravity. They don't test every single stone - but they do test select stones from any given block of stone that's mined. The closer a stone's SG is to that of Quartz- the more pure (hard) it is and that's how it gets 'named'.
In general - all arks have the same size abrasive particles, what matters is the density of those particles in the slab.If I remember correctly - the average size of those particles is .01 mm or 10 um, which is about 1.2-1.4k in the world of grit.
A true-hard, black, or translucent can be an amazing finisher for honing a straight. Edges that I finish on my black Ark are outstanding - but all the groundwork has to be done impeccably.
I've never chipped a razor on a hard, black, or translucent Ark, and I have put a few razors over several different stones of those grades.
A regular hard Ark is another excellent stone for razors, but in my experience- they're better suited for use before a black or translucent.
While I've never chipped a straight on a soft Ark or a Hindostan, I've read it was a possibility. The recommendation was to hone the razor with a back stroke (like stropping) to eliminate the chipping. The alleged chipping was due to the lower density of the abrasive particles.
That's a really fine looking stone, I'm sure it'll serve you well. Lapping them is a bear of a task, but once you get the top where you want it, you'll be so very happy that you'll forget your arm is sore.

I'd like to hear, as well. I recently purchased a translucent Arkansas, and I think it's definitely a capable finishing stone. It's very slow and was a pain to lap, but I'm liking the results thus far.

Originally Posted by Martin103

Any reviews on your new stone?

Originally Posted by myersn024

I'd like to hear, as well. I recently purchased a translucent Arkansas, and I think it's definitely a capable finishing stone. It's very slow and was a pain to lap, but I'm liking the results thus far.

Believe it or not I haven't used it yet! I'm saving it for the next knife I sharpen. I sharpened my bk2 but I like to finish that on soft ark. Love the beauty of the stone though. It's like workbench jewelry

Michael