Arkansas stones.

Let's see what we all have,also,how we use them.http://cloud.tapatalk.com/s/58b659399f58...24830.jpg?






Surgical Black Arkansas stone.
From Dans whetstone company.

I use this one with water only.
Cheers.

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I will pull mine all out and get some photos this evening after work. THIS is a thread I am EXTREMELY interested in reading!

I have a few Arkansas hones that I will show here. I really like them as finishers.

I used to have more (and some Charnley Forest hones), but I pared them down to just a few. They're nice hones. Great finishers.

Have you guys noticed any difference finishing with a Black vs Translucent? I was reading some info from Dan's and if I remember right he talked about the two had no real difference...it's was a label placed by the industry.
Thanks and hone on!
Jer

Have you guys noticed any difference finishing with a Black vs Translucent?  I was reading some info from Dan's and if I remember right he talked about the two had no real difference...it's was a label placed by the industry.  
Thanks and hone on!
Jer

I have 2 different white translucents, a "true hard", and a surgical black that I regularly use in the final stages of a razor session. I have finished razors of various grinds on all four. In my personal opinion, the surgical black is the best finisher, with a higher polish than either of the white translucents or the true hard. The true hard would be next, followed by the white translucents.

With that all said, I have absolutely no means of measuring the density of the novaculite particles in the stone, so I have no way of truly discerning which is providing a more dense, and thus finer, cutting surface.

They could all be "identical" in terms of density, or at least as close to identical as any natural stone can be said to be. It could simply be the individual stones that I have. It could be all in my head.

My standard oil progression is as follows: 1k Lansky diamond benchstone, soft Arkansas, white translucent, surgical black. I have a couple different soft Arks I use, a couple different white translucents, and I will sometimes use the "true hard" in place of the white translucent as a pre-polisher.

There are a couple factors besides density that will effect the performance of Arks as well. The means of prepping the surface of the stone, and the techniques you use. I also find that some steel responds to the natural Arkys better than synthetics, while others have the opposite appearance. Again...no real way of measuring this to a standard, but it is my impressions.

All of my oil stones are dressed the same way: lapped with a coarse Silicone carbide lapping stone, prepped with a Lansky 800grit diamond benchstone.

I use my oilstones for knives as well as razors, and the stones that see a lot of action with heavier knife steel seem to be more burnished than those that get used rarely(I have a standard hard that almost never sees daylight, and I use 1 of the white translucents much more frequently than the other because of size). I don't know how others "burnish" their stones, but I will pull out my surgical black and just run a heavy knife blade on it for a couple hundred laps while watching tv. No pressure on the blade, just rubbing the steel gently on the surface of the stone, allowing them to polish each other. Does it make a difference? I don't know, but I hone with oil stones by hand(no stone holder, just in my hand), and the action is very soothing to me, so it's as much a practiced form of meditation as an actual effort to polish and burnish the sirface of the stone, and the edge of the blade.

I know that is way more than you asked for, but that is how I use my Arkansas stones. To be 100% honest, I get edges from the surgical black that are every bit as keen and comfortable as my Shoubudani type 100 with Asano nagura progression. It takes longer with the Arks, and you have to pay closer attention to know where the blade is, versus which stone you should be using, but with careful observation and good stroke technique, it is my opinion that a comparatively inexpensive surgical black can be a top razor finisher, comparable to the highest end Jnats.

As with most things honing...please bear in mind that this is strictly my experience. Your mileage not only may vary, but should vary...

Thanks for the reply BadDad. Great stuff to aid my info gathering!

How's Bishop? Going to try and make it up they way to do some fly fishing, and some eating/buying at Schat's, sometime this Fall.
Jer

Alright, I finally pulled out my whole set of Arkansas stones and got a quick picture:



Top row; L-R--
Lansky soft, Lansky hard, SharpeningSupplies.com white translucent, old "true hard" I've had forever

I use the Lansky soft and the true hard the most out of this row.

Bottom row; L-R--
presumed soft based on how quickly it cuts, white translucent, surgical black

The entire bottom row was a gift from a fellow razor honer at a Facebook group. He wasn't having much luck with them, and just sent me a private message one day asking if I was interested in them. No way I could pass that up. I'm not sure where they originated, but they are a fantastic set of stones. The surgical black is simply outstanding. I've gotten some great edges off of it already.

I have six or so arks and they all have there place depending on the job. This stones place is as one of my finest finisher I have. A butterscotch translucent that is smooth as glass and hard as a diamond. It measures 7 x 2 inches and came from the flea market in a tramp art style box and is dated sept, 1897 inside the box. The inclusions in the stone can be seen but not felt and are not toxic to the edge. I am glad to be the the caretaker for this rock.

Boy that butterscotch translucent is flippin' GORGEOUS!!

I haven't got a picture of it yet, but I just scored a brand new Lansky soft for $10. Local outdoors shop around the corner specializes in hunting and fishing, and I've bought a few Lansky stones from him over the last couple years. Owner is retiring, so he has everything marked at 50% off. I went in with cash and got a great deal!

I'll snap a picture of it when I get home. Beautiful stone and cuts amazingly well. Very quick. I lapped with a coarse silicone carbide stone, but I did not prep the surface with the 800 grit diamond. I wanted to see how much of a difference it made in the performance. It cuts much quicker than my other Lansky soft, but finishes just as nicely. I may abandon the 800 grit diamond prepper for my soft stones, and only use it to help burnish the translucents and SB...

A pair of my True Hard black Arkansas stones or rather Surgical Black Arkansas stones.
6X2X.75 and 8x2x1 inches.

This pair I have lapped and dressed for simple water use ,as such they polish steel like what they are,nearly pure abrasive in a handy rectangle.

No pressure is needed or wanted ,this is a switch from my normal method of honing on Arkansas stones with oil.cheers.

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