I curious about the white translucent Arkansas stone and how does it fair compared to the black translucent Arkie. I'm just torn between the two any suggestions would be appreciated
Printable View
I curious about the white translucent Arkansas stone and how does it fair compared to the black translucent Arkie. I'm just torn between the two any suggestions would be appreciated
General rule of thumb is that translucents are better polishers than blacks. That being said, some blacks are better than translucents. I've also heard of regular hard arks that can polish on the same level as the translucents and blacks. I guess what I am trying to say is that, being natural stones, they vary a lot.
Ageed some are different from what I've read so I guess it's like a shot in the dark
At least they aren't tooo expensive. But just to muddy the water a bit more and then not offer any help... I understand some distributers have better stock than others lol. Sigh.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tylerbrycen
It really is a shot in the dark when it comes to Arkies. I've been lucky and got great stones with my black and translucent.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tylerbrycen
+1. I picked up Norton/Pike vintage trans and black hard off of ebay. Got the trans fairly cheap but paid dear for the black. The trans has been great on razors but the black, my particular one, is exceptional. Worth the $ it cost me for a 5x2.Quote:
Originally Posted by Theseus
I have a nice Black Norton and translucent Norton. They are about the same. But you got to think Norton only puts it's name on the better ones..
both stones are of the same specific gravity 250+ ime i have had better luck with surgical black then translucents for razors if you want a fine black go with the surgical black gold testing stone you wont or cant go wrong with that stone
Here is an old vintage translucent novaculite stone. Not all novaculite mined in N. America comes from Arkansas. I have heard this stone also referred to as Gravestone and Hutchinson stone. This is a fine finisher with oil. More fine than the modern surgical black that I have. It is a slow stone. It leaves a toothy edge that can be stropped smooth. I hope this helps some.
MIke
http://i.imgur.com/qrURW.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ZLW8h.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/yIFYj.jpg
Shatters easy dont ask.......happen to me as well.....dont ask........
That's good to know about the shattering ill make sure to be extra careful now I have to ask how did that happen and atleast it was at the end
Don't drop stones, waterstones, oil stones, barber hones .... onto a hard surface. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Tylerbrycen
That makes me sad the poor stone and it must be like dropping a razor
I put a strip of thick, foam , stick togather rubber in my honing area and it has saved two razors and one expensive stone.Quote:
Originally Posted by JimmyHAD
Stingray
If you ever tried to lap one of these stones flat you'll know how difficult that can be. I finally gave up lapping on the side that had been used, you can still see the dished out depression mark in the one pic..Quote:
Originally Posted by Tylerbrycen
I got creative (lazy) and lapped the bottom of the stone with a belt sander and VOILÀ. Too much heat cracked it. It's flat though. he,he.
MIke
Yeah, belt sander. They are common in woodworking circles, and the vintage ones often are in bad shape. Belt sander, but make sure you move it outside if you're going to lap a lot off of a stone.
If you don't have a belt sander, don't buy a stone that needs much lapping, you'll just ruin something doing it.
Is anyone getting a true mirror polish off of their transluscents? I use mine to sharpen chisels and they improve the polish from the chinese 12k stone. But I press FIRMLY and they are a pretty fast stone that way. I dont think i would have to patience to hone a razor on them.
I get a uniform edge off of them, but not as bright of a polish as from chromium oxide on balsa.
I think they are a better tool stone than a razor stone because they respond well to pressure and have an abrasive that becomes very smooth and dull (thus the need for pressure).
But if an edge is brought to them in really good shape, they can improve it some and soften the harshness (at least translucents. I had a hard black ark at one point and never did use it for razors before selling it).
One thing to weigh in on making a choice if you are fortunate enough to find a translucent without defects like inclusions and irregular graining is that they do give visual feedback in terms of seeing the swarf while honing.
Jewlers and people who deal with gold like the blacks better for testing. either can be great polishers, especially on hard carbon steel because they cut into the steel ever so gently.
Nortons and Dan's are pretty good for modern translucent stones but the best I have used are from old stock.
I don't even look for a mirror polish. I look for the edge to be shaving sharp to my preference. Not knocking the 'mirror polish school' but that has never interested me as much as the shave.Quote:
Originally Posted by JamesT
BTW, I came to that conclusion by examining many blades that were honed by pros when I was learning. Some of them did have a mirror polish, and some of them did not, but they were truly shave ready. So that taught me that mirror polish is not a prerequisite for sharp and smooth. Some of mine, whatever I finish them with, may end up mirror polished but that is incidental to what I'm shooting for. Just my 2 bits. :angel:
Lthats what I would like to accomplish one day is a smooth shave I've had one for pink lather and im hooked I loved it
I wish I had someone I knew with old stock because I'm not risking eBay for that kind of stone but maybe that's meQuote:
Originally Posted by Kingfish
Hey Tyler,Quote:
Originally Posted by Tylerbrycen
Check out this thread http://straightrazorpalace.com/hones...ad-stones.html. :hmmm:
Regards,
Howard
You and me, too. I've had a couple of translucents, a black hard and now a black translucent (which looks like a gray hard to me, it's not that translucent). The stone I got from dans was the finest (finer than the norton trans by a factor of two when they were fresh, and when they were worn in), but any of them can be used hard with tools so that they are settled in. They certainly don't cut fast, and they certainly don't leave a jagged wire edge.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tylerbrycen
For woodworking, I've been underwhelmed by them compared to ceramic stones, except for carving tools (the hardness keeps you out of trouble) and for a super-fine hard stone, I think the sypderco UF is a lot better if sharpness is important. The key with the spyderco UF for razors is the same as it is for oilstones - let the surface settle in until it's almost not cutting, leave it like that and bring a razor to it that is in very good condition from a prepolisher or other polishing stone. The spyderco UF reacts well to a hard and fine nagura (like a japanese stone scrap as a tomonagura), too, it doesn't rough up the surface but it allows it to cut a little faster until you want to clear it off. And clear and worn in, the edge on a razor is super super fine without the guesswork that you have with natural stones (in terms of whether they work with a given alloy) since the ceramic will cut everything, even when it's dulled.
Translucent and Blacks are finisher. Great for touch ups, Shaved off both for years. It is most true for Arks or better said Novaculites in particular, all naturals are different and perform differently, older Arks do seem better… to me, they seem to have fewer occlusions than newer Arks I’ve seen.
Posted a couple of threads recently on lapping Arks, search “lapping”. 80 grit Silicone Carbide works best and a pound sells for around 6 dollars Valve grinding compound can be purchased locally from any auto parts store, it is the same stuff w/grease for about the same price in a smaller quantity. ½ teaspoon of powder will lap a stone in 20-30 mins, good work out.
For the guy with 6 cases of arks, find a marble refinishing shop. They have a large flat wet grind stone and can do them all in no time. Looks like a giant record player flooded with water, I have seen them as large 10 ft. in diameter.
Trans and Blacks seem to glaze, a few light laps with a DMT 325 will refresh the stone and produce a hazy finish on the bevel and a sharp crisp edge.
Arks will eat Diamond plates, so don’t waste your DMTs. They are good finishers, give good feedback on the stone and leave a nice comfortable shaving edge. Best for micro-beveling with tape or touch ups and still a good value for the money.
In the end it doesn’t matter what the grit or hardness rating of a particular stone is, how close to perfectly flat it is, how bright or dull the polish of the bevel, all that matters, is how it shaves… for you and your razor… and you will only know, if you try it.
Modine's post #9 is a good lesson on what to look for in an old stone. If it looks likes that go for it and no worries. If the pics show an oil covered stone and you can't see the unmistakeable uniformity like in Modine's pics then you are takining a chance. Be prepared to pay a little more because people who know arks can spot good ones a mile away.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tylerbrycen
Ain't that the truth ! I had to fight for that black hard ark and that was with 4 seconds to go. :boohoo:Quote:
Originally Posted by Kingfish