Thread: A little experiment

I have used a trans slip stone radius quite a bit, mainly for old warped or honed out blades with uneven geometry; it seems like it's almost always Sheffield blades that have that issue for me. Maybe that's just happenstance.

I never had the problem with microchipping but I can see how that could be a problem with lower grit stones. Not sure why it would be with higher grit. Not that I'm questioning the validity of that; just never seen it or thought too much about it.

Arks are my favorite finisher, especially for vintage American blades both razors and knives but also chisels. Yes they are slow but I use a method that speeds the process. Besides, I find honing to be one of those meditative or maybe introspective (some would say "zen" but I hate that use of that word) tasks where you can become lost in it and offload the mental ballast. For that purpose Arks are perfect. Then at the end your task reward is that atom splitting edge that can be too keen if overdone. I especially like the full Ark progression starting with a washita (usually a small calico I inherited from my Dad) and ending on a black...or sometimes a trans depending on my whim at that moment. I also find little difference in results from the two. I always chalked any difference up to circumstantial.