Thread: Surgical Black

I have the arkansas black hone. Is that a decent hone if so is it good for finishing or starting or what?

Finishing. From my very limited experience and understanding, it's a slow hone requiring many passes. Considering what I had heard about it, I submitted a razor of indifferent performance to many, many passes on my black Arkansas hone and improved the shavability remarkably. I believe the cognoscenti think the translucent Arkansas to be an even finer hone.

Good luck

i agree with bruce when i started i got a med. , fine, and a translucent they are verry slow hones but when it does get their it is sharp. i got a beljuem blue and yellow i have not used the arkansas stones sence.

yeah id like to get a norton 4000/8000 but the arkansas black was only 25 and i had to get everything else too.

I've got both a surgical black and a trans. arkansas stone. The trans. if definitely finer, but i'm not sure the surgical black is a true surgical black. according to Dan's (respected arkansas stone manf.) the fineness is rated on density, so ideal a true surgical black and a trans. should be equal. My trans. is from Dan's and my s. black is from woodcraft.
on a slightly separate note, pick a thin lubricant for your stone. Standard honing oils make some of my razors hydroplane.
-Hanno

Originally Posted by Hanno

I've got both a surgical black and a trans. arkansas stone. The trans. if definitely finer, but i'm not sure the surgical black is a true surgical black. according to Dan's (respected arkansas stone manf.) the fineness is rated on density, so ideal a true surgical black and a trans. should be equal. My trans. is from Dan's and my s. black is from woodcraft.
on a slightly separate note, pick a thin lubricant for your stone. Standard honing oils make some of my razors hydroplane.
-Hanno

What type of lubricant would you consider to be thin?

Perhaps the thinnest oil is kerosene. Ya, I know, it stinks!
The purpose of the oil is to keep the swarf from clogging up the hone. Some people use water for the same purpose

Thanks everyone so far for the great info

the kroil mentioned by mparker is extremely thin. It's an excellent penetrating oil to free siezed parts. I've only had the hydroplaneing problem with my 4/8 wedge. I think it's because it's such a shallow grind on a small razor.

I think i have a can of kroil in my work van. Its in an orange spray can and kinda like wd40 isnt it?