Thread: My first try with a Trans Ark

Well, it came yesterday and instead of sleeping last night i thought of ways to make my new trans love me.

Based on lot's of reading here and so much experienced advice that I should really print it and start a file, I decided to leave one side alone and dress the other side to 600. 600 seems like a sensible starting point because I guessing that it is easier to go up than down in grit.

I stuck some 600 wet n dry on my mirroer lapping plate with water , soaked the wet n dry well and started rubbing in circles, up & down, figure eights etc. I lifted the stone ( not easily because it stuck down) and turned it around to do the same so I could be sure I had the whole length even.

I did this for about 5 minutes. I have to say I couldn't actually see a difference or even feel it with my fingers but it felt different when I licked it so I must have achieved something.

I sharpened a kitchen knife for 10 minutes on the 600 side, actually I have never sharpened a knife before and it is blunter now than it was before I tried. That can go back to my steel I think.

Anyway, the 600 side feels different now, smoother. It's not shiny like a mirror yet but I guess it might get there.

I honed an already very shave ready razor that could tree top arm hair ( that I honed ). I spent about 25 mins with mineral oil doing several up and down on one side then the other, x strokes, windshield wiper strokes, heel first strokes at an angle that the whole blade fit on the stone and anything else I could think of.

I have just cleaned the stone and the razor.

After stropping 10 on canvas and 50 on leather it still treetops so I know that if nothing else, I haven't hurt the edge.

I don't imagine I have achived anything much on my first attempt with an Ark but I will shave after lunch and see if it's any different. Be so great if it is a nicer edge but I won't hold my breath.

OK then, I had a shave, I would like to say that it felt a little bit smoother but I've got a feeling that it's wishful thinking.

I had a 4 pass BBS shave, regardless of whether the Ark helped I'm still pleased with this razor.

It makes my shaves even more enjoyable knowing that it's my own edge. Now all I have to do is get this natural honing cracked, even if I wear my rocks out doing it.

If it's a Dan's translucent, their "true hard" stones are supposedly lapped on a 120x abrasive turntable wheel (that's what they told me). From there, I would recommend lapping 240x > 400x > 600x. Mark out a grid with pencil on the side of the stone to be lapped. Lap until the grid is gone, like you have done, then mark out a new grid, move up to the next finer sheet of w/d sandpaper, repeating this until the finest sheet. That said, if you just stay with your knife on the surface, it should smooth the stone on its own. As far as wearing it out, an Arkansas is a very durable stone.

For kitchen knives, I don't use a translucent or "true hard" stone as I want there to be a bit of tooth on the edge. Normally, a soft/hard Arkansas combo (modern "hard Arkansas" being a misnomer, it's actually at the finer end of the soft Arkansas range) used with descending half-lap counts, something like 10 > 5 > 3 > 2 > 1, gets me there before ending with some light X-passes to even things out. Much the same for me with razors and a small translucent, used hand-held rather than on the bench. I find that introducing a little backstroke (spine-leading) helps with very hard natural stones like the Arkansas.

The good/bad thing about Arks is it requires the most perfect honing stroke to achieve the best edges beside it being correctly prepped. The good is it develops rather quickly as failing sucks and striving to overcome it is primordial, at least in my case. When muscle memory kick in and you can almost hone blindly, then all other stones will be much easier to master and your Ark edges will definately improve.

I like to take my edges to 8k on synthetics(snow white) and the 300 laps on my Butterscotch translucent or go all Arkie and use my lily white(7kish) and do 300+ laps on the butterscotch to get it how I like it.

A lot going on for you.

When I started, I was given a 2x6 translucent and a strop to maintain my razor, “burn the ships”, no alternatives.

I shaved with just that for 10 years, there was no internet, no books. My barber was my only source, he gave me a couple quick lessons. You do this and this, then this.

If you are learning to hone and to finish on an Ark, it can be a steep learning curve. It will get better. You must learn to hone, then you must learn your stone. If you add other razors to the mix, you extend your learning curve, each razor is different.

The best advise would be to get a good pre-finisher, a good 8k Naniwia Snow White, or 12k Super Stone, perfect that edge, so you take a fully honed edge and mirror bevels to the Ark and improve that edge.

Finish one side to a clean 600 grit and burnish the heck out of the other after 2k wet & dry. Run all your kitchen knives on the burnished side to get some mileage on it and do laps on your razor. Try pressure, no pressure, different strokes, different lubes. Stay on it and it will shave, but one day it will be a smoking edge.

The only way to learn to hone is to hone. Arks can be frustrating, but folks have been honing on them for hundreds of years. They are not magical stones, but they can make magic.

Well said, Marty

I am enjoying this thread, and taking notes for improving my Ark game, which has never been up to my JNats.

All this said, and admitting my Ark edge is only a passable grade of C+, I find Arks to be rather 'dead' compared to other stones I've used in terms of feedback.

I'm still learning my primitive true hard from Dan's so don't think I'm an expert...disclaimer finished.

I polished mine to 1K and then spent several nights burnishing with a big'ol chunk of carbon steel. Its got a satiny finish with some hazy reflectivity.

For lubrication I've tried water, water/dish soap, Smith's solution, Smith's solution/water, and traditional oil. I don't have very sensitive skin and couldn't really tell much of a difference in the shave. I've been using oil, since I find it easier to see the blade under cut and also easier to feel the blade "stick" to the stone.

I've found this stone really makes me work my Norton 8K to as good a finish as I can get. For a while I was test shaving the 8K edge before moving to the ark. My best edges have been when I can't see the 8K striae and the bevel gets a kind of hazy look. Then I do 50 or so laps on fabric and then stay on leather until the bevel regains it's high polish.

The performance of my edges were a little hit and miss at first, but I went all in the last couple of months with practice and it's paying off. I'm getting much more consistent results and love the feel of the shaves. I expect this stone will only improve with time and more practice.

I'll never regret purchasing the stone, I enjoy it every time I pick it up.

These are the most astute words of wisdom I can think of when it comes to honing stones---from gssixgun--

"No amount of money spent on a Stone can ever replace the value of the time it takes learning to use it properly"
Very Respectfully - Glen

Originally Posted by JellyJar

I'm still learning my primitive true hard from Dan's so don't think I'm an expert...disclaimer finished.

I polished mine to 1K and then spent several nights burnishing with a big'ol chunk of carbon steel. Its got a satiny finish with some hazy reflectivity.

For lubrication I've tried water, water/dish soap, Smith's solution, Smith's solution/water, and traditional oil. I don't have very sensitive skin and couldn't really tell much of a difference in the shave. I've been using oil, since I find it easier to see the blade under cut and also easier to feel the blade "stick" to the stone.

I've found this stone really makes me work my Norton 8K to as good a finish as I can get. For a while I was test shaving the 8K edge before moving to the ark. My best edges have been when I can't see the 8K striae and the bevel gets a kind of hazy look. Then I do 50 or so laps on fabric and then stay on leather until the bevel regains it's high polish.

The performance of my edges were a little hit and miss at first, but I went all in the last couple of months with practice and it's paying off. I'm getting much more consistent results and love the feel of the shaves. I expect this stone will only improve with time and more practice.

I'll never regret purchasing the stone, I enjoy it every time I pick it up.

That's a great post... thanks for sharing.