Honing on the road

Attachment 256794

Pictured above: Arkansas Translucent, Arkansas Hard Black aka surgical black, Belgium Coticule, with Thiers Issard 6/8 Spartacus. All three stones measure 4x1.625.

Two nights ago I set up to shave at a truck stop shower. After a nice hot shower and prep, the Poraso lather richly applied, I raised my Spartacus to shave only to be met with unpleasant tugging. Some perturbed, but not to be denied, I splashed some lather on the Coticule and laid down a number of laps. The shave ended well enough with a reasonably smooth face.

Upon return to my sleeper cabbed truck I pulled out the stones and went to work. Some 200 laps on the coticule followed by an equal number on the Translucent. Last night's return to the shower room resulted in a smooth and satisfying shave.

I thought about doing a full honing job upon my return home. Now I'm not so sure. My small travel stones did a superb job refreshing my edge.

I pretty much consider the translucent and black to be interchangeable. Since you brought them both on the road, how do you compare the two?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Utopian

I pretty much consider the translucent and black to be interchangeable. Since you brought them both on the road, how do you compare the two?

---

Thank you for saying you consider the two pretty much the same. I do too. I've had both for over a year and use them interchangeably with predictable results. I've read Dan's Whetstone website gravity chart several times where they rate the two with the same gravity. Would you agree the Translucent and Hard Black are virtually identical with no discernible difference? This is a point I'd like to drive home.

I have the larger ones at home for my "real" honing. The smaller travel stones are just a part of the hobby. During down time or evenings in the truck I'll do touch up work on blades needing such.

I saw what what you wrote elsewhere about using these a little rougher and let them take on a "natural" burnishing. I did pretty much the same. Any more when I use these, and the bigger ones at home, I use them dry. Yep. With good results.

I like that your three on the road hones are the same size. I bet that makes it easier to pack them securely.

I think that it of course can vary from hone to hone, but yes I do consider the two types to be very similar in performance.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Utopian

I bet that makes it easier to pack them securely.

---

Dan's ships the small stones in nice leather pouches. I asked for extras and they threw in several. One for the coticule, one for my truck fuel card and truck stop rewards cards. Still got a couple left over. The stones in their pouches then go in my travel kit.

Interesting...do you use the coticule dry as well?

I've become rather spoiled by my full size bench stones. I've got a very nice translucent stones about that size but it almost never gets used because of the small profile. It does make a pretty sweet edge though. Maybe I ought to break it and my 6x1 Black out and do a little edge comparison. I haven't used that little fella in a long time, but I remember it putting a nice sharp edge on a blade. Like you and Utopian say, interchangeable with the translucent. Only reason I use a translucent stone more is because it's profile is more to my liking. 6 x 2 x 1 is easier to handle than a 6 x 1 with an uneven split that makes the thickness taper.

Edit: Also found this interesting, you have in your hands the exact stones that Mastro Livi recommends for touching up a blade. A good coticule, and an Arkansas stone to follow it up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrGanDkVUiQ

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Marshal

Interesting...do you use the coticule dry as well?

---

My small coticule in the truck when passing the time, yes, I use it dry. If in the shower room, no. Lather and water. Usually don't take the time to work up the slurry. But at home on my big 8x3 coticules I'll work up the slurry, dilute down to clear water. When done I'll follow up with a dry Zulu Gray or ArkTrans / or Black.

I love the Livi videos. He must have taken my advice. :rock:

I should have added: the small coticule is quite hard, smooth as glass, and very slow. Jarrod at The Superior Shave, the vendor, suspected it to be a la verte. I get good results using it dry. I know it's not recommended for best results, but it works well enough in the truck on the road.

BTW, tonight I'm in Bradford, Ontario.

Well, at the end of the day results are more important than using a stone 'as recommended.' Such is my humble opinion. I've mentioned a few times that I use mine with oil. This seems to be sacrilege to some coticule users, but I've tried every water & shave lather method known to man it simply doesn't work. Almost makes me wonder what it would produce dry, but as they say - if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

This is the first I've seen mention of them being used that way. Sounds like you got the perfect hard little stone for the purpose.

:rock:

Here's something I was looking for last night from Dan's Whetstone website - their gravity chart.

https://www.danswhetstone.com/inform...ne-grades-101/

"Although there may be only a slight difference in grain size from one grade to another, the effective abrasiveness of each grade is related to the density, or compactness, of the individual, bladed quartz crystals that compose Novaculite. The U.S. government measures the specific gravity of Novaculite and assigns density ranges for the Soft and Hard classifications. Dan’s Whetstone Company, Inc., follows these standards for Soft and Hard stones. We also further define Hard grade Novaculite into the True Hard, Black, and Translucent categories.

Density Standards

Soft Arkansas 2.20-2.30
Hard Arkansas 2.30-2.45
True Hard Arkansas 2.50+
….Colored Translucent 2.50+
….Translucent 2.50+
….Black Arkansas 2.50+"
End quote

Seems to me to make distinctions between the last four grades is speculative and conjecture. Based on my experience with the Translucent and Black Arkansas (what I used to call Hard Black), there is indistinguishable difference.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Marshal

Well, at the end of the day results are more important than using a stone 'as recommended.' Such is my humble opinion. I've mentioned a few times that I use mine with oil. This seems to be sacrilege to some coticule users, but I've tried every water & shave lather method known to man it simply doesn't work. Almost makes me wonder what it would produce dry, but as they say - if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

This is the first I've seen mention of them being used that way. Sounds like you got the perfect hard little stone for the purpose.

:rock:

---

I must say Jarrod at The Superior Shave was very helpful. I did my homework reading here and his website. Then I called him to discuss what I wanted and he made recommendation.

The thing about doing something out of the ordinary is the clean up. If you use oil on the coticule, I'm sure you wash it clean to original state for next use, right?

Give dry a go and tell us what you think. I'm not recommending abandoning standard practices, but it's an option, a tool in the kit.

I use mineral oil mixed with mineral spirits. Usually it just gets wiped down with a paper towel, wrapped up in a new/dry paper towel, and stored that way. The new towel soaks up most of the oil that was left behind. And the mineral spirits in the mix will loosen up anything that the towel doesn't get the next time oil is applied to the stone.

It does stay fairly clean. Last time I unwrapped it, you'd never know oil had been applied to the stone even though it wasn't washed.

My only concern with using it dry is that my coticule is soft, and had to be meticulously burnished to become a usable finisher. I'd hate to loosen up those garnets dry honing, and have to start that process again. But, nothing ventured nothing gained...maybe I'll give it a shot the next time one of my edges is in need of a touch up.

I have to add this little bit. When I got home from my last load I took my Spartacus to my big Arkansas Black for about 300 laps refresh. I shaved with it tonight in my rotation after a good leather stropping. It was one of those OMG moments. So smooth. Thought I'd share.

BTW, I'm in Great Falls, MT tonight. Snowing outside.

Better that it's snowing in MT than eastern WA. We are sooo sick of the white stuff here. We reset the record for precipitation in Spokane for February.

Be safe out there, LHT. :)

VERY nice travel kit!! Great idea with the leather pouches

Attachment 258222

I cannot claim originality. Dan's Whetstone sells their small stones with the leather pouches. I just asked for a couple of extras, which they gladly accommodated.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Longhaultanker

Here's something I was looking for last night from Dan's Whetstone website - their gravity chart.

https://www.danswhetstone.com/inform...ne-grades-101/

"Although there may be only a slight difference in grain size from one grade to another, the effective abrasiveness of each grade is related to the density, or compactness, of the individual, bladed quartz crystals that compose Novaculite. The U.S. government measures the specific gravity of Novaculite and assigns density ranges for the Soft and Hard classifications. Dan’s Whetstone Company, Inc., follows these standards for Soft and Hard stones. We also further define Hard grade Novaculite into the True Hard, Black, and Translucent categories.

Density Standards

Soft Arkansas 2.20-2.30
Hard Arkansas 2.30-2.45
True Hard Arkansas 2.50+
….Colored Translucent 2.50+
….Translucent 2.50+
….Black Arkansas 2.50+"
End quote

Seems to me to make distinctions between the last four grades is speculative and conjecture. Based on my experience with the Translucent and Black Arkansas (what I used to call Hard Black), there is indistinguishable difference.

---

I have a vintage translucent that came in a nice old wood coffin. It is my most loved stone. Then I got a hard black or surgical black (tomato/tomahto) from Dans and I can not tell the difference in the edges at all. Now maybe one is 2.68 SG and the other is 2.58 SG but in practice I don't notice a difference. I did notice a difference when I first got the black as it was pretty rough, for a surg. Black, but within a week or two of using it the edges matched the translucent that has been burnished by years of use.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Steel

I have a vintage translucent that came in a nice old wood coffin. It is my most loved stone. Then I got a hard black or surgical black (tomato/tomahto) from Dans and I can not tell the difference in the edges at all. Now maybe one is 2.68 SG and the other is 2.58 SG but in practice I don't notice a difference. I did notice a difference when I first got the black as it was pretty rough, for a surg. Black, but within a week or two of using it the edges matched the translucent that has been burnished by years of use.

---

I wrote the above you quoted before going to Dan's Whetstone on my field trip. Due to some things being said in another thread, I had to go and stop by. Of course there might be slight differences, but all such differences are incidental and antidotal. But the point I wanted to drive a stake in the heart of is this: within the True Hard classification of Arkansas novaculite stone, there is no substantive diffence due to the fact they are the same relative density/gravity.

The difference should be minimal. And that's one of the reasons I'm cataloging where I'm at with the True Hard and Translucent stones.

Seems like just a few years back I was told Arkies were only good for pocket knives. A myth that needs a stake or 2 thrown in it. And of course there's the persistent quibble between whether a Translucent or Black creates the 'best' edge. Meanwhile generic True Hards seem somewhat 'forgotten.' Not maligned, just absent from the conversation - the stone that doesn't exist.

Marshall,

I'm happy for your recent emerald green acquisition. What a beautiful stone with its banding and coloration. I'm supposing it's a True Hard Colored Translucent, falling into Dan's classification of True Hard; not not pure Translucent, or pure Arkansas Black, obviously. I'm anxious to hear your reviews as you begin using it.

As much as I want a 8x3x1 pure Translucent, I think my next order will be such as yours, simply a True Hard, to test its comparability.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Marshal

The difference should be minimal. And that's one of the reasons I'm cataloging where I'm at with the True Hard and Translucent stones.

Seems like just a few years back I was told Arkies were only good for pocket knives. A myth that needs a stake or 2 thrown in it. And of course there's the persistent quibble between whether a Translucent or Black creates the 'best' edge. Meanwhile generic True Hards seem somewhat 'forgotten.' Not maligned, just absent from the conversation - the stone that doesn't exist.

---

Very well put!