Thread: Arky Black Prep

If you take care of the stone this only needs to be done once (or not for a long time) right?

I recently got a trans gray Arkansas stone I need to prep for use on my razors.

Yup, just once, using it to hone razors will burnish it further.

So, if you buy an old hard Ark, and it is smooth, try it before you lap, or do anything to it. If it is has been used a lot, it could be very smooth and work well with razors, lapping will just cause you to start all over again.

Originally Posted by Orville

Thanks . . . one question . . . is that stone dry, or is it oiled?

These stones can get quite polished but they don't need to be super burnished to finish a razor. There is a point of diminished return in my opinion so don't spend half your life getting your stone prepped but do take some time to get it started and with time and use it will get better. Here is a couple picks of my translucent arkansas. Both are dry. The first is in strong lamp light and the second is a soft reflection on a cloudy day. You can see my truck in the reflection. Just to give you an idea.

Thanks. Mine isn't there yet, but it's nice to see what I should be looking to get to . . .
As for putting a razor on one, I have a few recent acquisitions that, when I get to the point of honing, I will be running across this stone, just to see where it is. but that is a few weeks down the line, so it should be ready by that time.

Yes, as said you don’t have to spend a life time burnishing, That, large stone was burnished many years ago, 20-30 years and has finished, many, many razors. It has also been a long time since that photo was taken, I think it had some water on it.

But as said, finish a razor on your stone, 100 laps is not unusual, unless you are micro-beveling, which works very well with Arks, just another layer of tape. Also experiment with lubricants, water, soap/lather, oil and Smith’s.

2-300 heavy laps with a lot of pressure, should be enough to get a good edge on a razor, once a stone is finished up to a 1k progression. With use the stone will continue to improve in performance, but very slightly.

The bevel will be a hazy finish, which makes it hard to compare results, the shave is what counts.

Never mind . . . misread your post.

So . . . another 200 laps last night. I tried applying more pressure, but felt I was not consistent in my application. Will need to work on that. Lots of dark matter coming off in the clean up. Paper towel to wipe off the last spritz of baby oil. Stone is not a mirror (yet), but I can make out the outline of my face, as well as shadow and light areas, so . . . progress.

All told, I have spent perhaps three hours on this project. Expected it to take much longer based on what some postings alluded to.

Hey that sounds great! It sounds like the stone is cutting and if you can make out an out line in it then it should be good enough to try a razor on. It really doesn't take long at all and even less time if you use pressure. Woodworkers sharpen chisels on them with a great deal of pressure and it should only take minutes really to get a decent burnish and then every razor you do on it will contribute. I think it is Richard (maybe someone else) that says something to the effect of "stone polishes razor and the razor polishes the stone". If it is not giving you a great edge then maybe it is the burnish but if I had to guess I would say your stone has the bare minimum to start. Of course without seeing the stone or feeling it I am just guessing.

Quite possibly it is ready. But, as I said previous, I am in no rush. Going to give a few hundred more laps while I work on getting a razor ready to go through my films, and then get finished on my arky.

I appreciate all the comments in this thread guys. sometimes things can seem pretty daunting to someone with no prior knowledge or experience. Having more experienced hands discussing these things brings about a clearer perspective, and removes a lot of the "mystery" from the process. Thanks, again.

I dont have a black Ark but I do have a Norton White translucent Ark that I plan on making my super finisher.