Thread: Don't Laugh - Ok Do Laugh

Here are my current stones that were sold to me in 1971 as straight razor honing stones. Yeah, again Al Gore hadn't invented the internet yet and I had to go on the advice of a broken down barber.

However, unless anyone has good reason to - whoops, I am not marrying these. Well, let me know guys if lapping these and using them is a futile task.

Soft Arkansas


Hard Arkansas


Black Arkansas



BTW, my errors in honing aside from not having great stones as recommended on this forum are -
1. Pressing too hard
2. Flipping on Edge instead of Spine
3. Not beveling the stone edges.
4. Not Lapping the stones.
5. Over honing.
6. Not knowing what the **** I was doing.

Welcone to SRP Jerry. From your list of errors it sounds like you've been doing your homework. I imagine you will be up to speed in no time. Those are darn good stones but just not ideal for straight razors. I like the Norton 4/8 with the DMT D8c for lapping and serious chip or frown removal and the D8E for setting bevels. That and the 4/8 and you are good to go.

There are a variaty of finishing stones of higher grit and I imagine you've probably read about them. The Chinese 12K is cheap but slow and the Shapton 16K seems to be the favorite although it is more $$. Whatever you do ......

Jerry, Arkansas stones are great for knives, I'm not sure about straight razors. Maybe one of the other members can offer some advice, I can make you a good deal on a Coticule bout if you want....

Lapping the black Arkansas would be extremely futile unless you have diamond hones. The hard Arkansas would be almost as bad.

In there time those were great hones for the tasks assigned to them. You could probably make a razor shave ready with them if you have the skill and the patience. The result would be a shavable razor but not the best.

Of the natural stones the Belgians, coticule and blue, are best suited for straight razors, along with natural Japanese stones if you have the money. Both of the above are better for razors than the Arkansas stones.

The work horse hones used here are the Norton 4000 and 8000 grit, the Shapton glass hones, the Belgians, and the DMT diamond hones.

Just my $.02

Originally Posted by kopykat

Here are my current stones that were sold to me in 1971 as straight razor honing stones. Yeah, again Al Gore hadn't invented the internet yet and I had to go on the advice of a broken down barber. ..
BTW, my errors in honing aside from not having great stones as recommended on this forum are -
1. Pressing too hard
2. Flipping on Edge instead of Spine
3. Not beveling the stone edges.
4. Not Lapping the stones.
5. Over honing.
6. Not knowing what the **** I was doing.

Have you been able to shave with edge produced with the above stones and methods? I am curious.

Welcome aboard Jerry...
I can so relate to your story, I started in 1981-82, and I still have a pure white, very smooth natural stone, that I paid over $100 for back then, that I was told I had to have to keep my razors in tip top condition....
My friend, I still don't know what that stone is

You already have some great recommendations for stones, I would check Amazon before ordering a Norton set though, they usually have the complete starter set 220/1k and 4k/8k and the lapping stone for less than $120 shipped... I saw the same for $99 right before Christmas too...

Ok, I hope everyone had a good laugh I know I did.

I just ordered a 4000/8000 from Lee Valley and a waterstone holder. I had other stuff to order from Lee Valley so I combined and got free shipping.

Thanks to all who responded.

Thanks to Al Gore for inventing the internet!

Have you been able to shave with edge produced with the above stones and methods? I am curious.

No, and that is why I quit razor shaving many years ago. Sometime after the AIDs scare first came on the scene and barbers quit shaving with straight razors, the place that I had been getting my razors professionally honed quit doing it.

On the upside I use my Arkansas stones for keeping just about every other sharp thing I own in tip top shape. Its only my straight razors on which I put a finer edge than these will give

Of course I forget but I think it was Mark who used to use Arkansas stones exclusively for his razor sharpening. He liked the translucent stone more than the black but I think he could get a very enjoyable edge with either.

If you want to get rid of the black let me know I wouldn't mind re-establishing the Arkansas as a viable razor option. I do think it is quite possible to get a razor sharp with these but it will take more skill and time than a more modern system.

Originally Posted by kopykat

the place that I had been getting my razors professionally honed quit doing it.

What kind of hones were they using? Were they similar to yours? Was the
"broken down barber" that recommended your hones from that shop?