Where can i get hone oil for a arkansas black from? Can i use a cooking oil such as grape seed oil?
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Where can i get hone oil for a arkansas black from? Can i use a cooking oil such as grape seed oil?
In general oil hones are not recommended for straights however if you use one I would stay away from any oil like that which is apt to become rancid over time. use mineral oil or hone oil or camila oil.
I got an arkansas black and it says to use oil. Can i use water or is that just not a good razor hone?
You can get mineral oil at any semi-decent pharmacy. They usually keep it close to alcohol/peroxide/iodine to be used as a laxative. It's also good for protecting razors in transit.
A few of the guys here use an Arkansas and like them. But... they can vary in quality and they are so very slow. The trick is to know at what stage of the honing process to use the hone that you have. A lot of the guys here use the Norton 4/8 combination grit waterstone.
Use any honing oil that contains good-quality mineral oil...like Nathan's, Case, Smith or other. Don't use water with an Arkansas stone.
For someone starting out is a slow stone better because of the slower cutting and not every stroke counting as much?
Just checked with a friend who has used them for 40 years. He says water is ok. He uses sewing machine oil or baby oil.
Generally speaking, a black is a finishing hone.
Water works fine with arkansas stones, as does lather, or something like kerosene. You just need something to keep the swarf from clogging the hone. I've been playing with Kano Kroil lately and prefer it for honing. Arkansas stones get better with use as the surface abrasives wear, so if this is your first time using it your results won't be indicative of the stone's true potential.
A slow stone is sometimes recommended for that reason. It will also take you longer to see where and when you are messing up. Your option.Quote:
Originally Posted by captnc12unch
I'd try to start with any one of the recommended hones and test often. (The marker-on-edge trick is a good one to start. TNT is great too.) Something around 4k grit to set my first razor bevel maybe. Something fast enough to keep from getting frustrated, yet slow enough to correct a "false start".
Definitely not a cooking oil, they have a tendency to become sticky over time and would ruin your hone. A mineral oil would be more suitable.