Thread: Sugical Black Arkansas as Touch up Hone

Anyone use and Arkansas surgical black or translucent as a touch up hone - I would be interested in the results. Sorry I posted this in the incorrect forum.

20+ years worth

An Arkansas stone was all I used for maintenance before I found SRP and caught HAD


If I had known then what I know now I would have just found a Barber's hone and been done...

haha.....I would agree with the last comment. but everyone has to try everything for themselves, huh?

Just think how good your money position would be if you sold off all of your stones.

But will you ever do it? I can't. I look at all of my stones and think "i'm a pig, why did I do this?" and then when I try to pick out two that I'd like to sell, I feel like one of the subjects of the show hoarders.

I could easily get by with one cheap touch-up stone of any type hard enough that the surface can wear smoother. It wouldn't make any difference on my shave. But I think there's a robot in my head that tells me what to do, and it never agrees with that.

Personally - I think barber's hones are best used as a paper weight. I've only had a few of them but none of them were worth spit to me.
I had tremendous success using a small Thuri as a barber hone. I also had a small Verte Coticule that worked even better than the Thuri when I mixed a drop of glycerine on it with the water. I never tried it with baby oil, but some have alluded to that working better.
Using a SB Ark as a touch up hone isn't the best application for that stone, too many laps needed to get the edge polish back and if the bevel is rounded at all it'll be a waste of time.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

20+ years worth

An Arkansas stone was all I used for maintenance before I found SRP and caught HAD


If I had known then what I know now I would have just found a Barber's hone and been done...

Gssixgun:
Would it be fair to say you've got stones?

oh man...you missed his pic of his workden...

Originally Posted by jeffzeitlin

Anyone use and Arkansas surgical black or translucent as a touch up hone - I would be interested in the results. Sorry I posted this in the incorrect forum.

If you own one give it a try.

If not skip the Arkansas family of rocks
and expand your search. Start with the
classic Norton 4k/8k if you have not already...

For a finisher burnish the Arkie hone with sacrificial steel
so all lapping and shaping artifacts (saw marks) are minimized.
Use a nice oil.... mineral oil or one of the honing oils sold for
Arkansas hones (non gumming mix of stuff). Use a minimum
number of strokes with a light touch....

There is no reason that a well selected surgical black or translucent
cannot be made to work in the right hands and with enough practice.

For those with one razor and a tight budget consider Pinnacle Lapping
film (Woodcraft). The 15/ 5/ 0.3 micron sequence does work when supported
on a common $3 granite tile from home depot.... Set the bevel once on 15.
and maintain on the 5 and 0.3 bits.

Thanks all - I have a set of man made hones - yes 4/8K Norton is one. I just ordered my first Jnat as a finisher and I have a set of ArKs for knives. I purchased a Surgical Black to give it a try as a final polish after the Jnat and as a touch up stone. If it doesn't work - it sharpens knives. I just got the surgical black lapped to 600 grit paper. Took all day to get it flat. I plan on using water with a drop of soap as the medium. People who use the surgical black as the final final polish after a 12k hone seem to get a fantastic edge - usually 30 - 50 laps. Those that use it it as a finisher after the 8K take for ever to get results.

I recently bought a translucent black to use as a finisher. I'm getting some very nice edges from it.

Using it as a touch up works as well.

Originally Posted by Wid

I recently bought a translucent black to use as a finisher. I'm getting some very nice edges from it.

Using it as a touch up works as well.

If you don't mind me asking, where did you get your trans black? I purchased one from a seller I contacted through eBay, and I've been very pleased with the stone and the edges it produces.