Had my first successful shaving edge tonight! It was finished on the black Ark and then stropped 40/linen and 100/leather. super smooth!
JR Torrey 5/8 barber Notched 1/2 hollow, one layer of tape, light soapy water, 40+ (?) laps on the black ark
New member, first post. Hello Gentlemen! Dedicated Ark user and happy to see Arks are well represented here. Just finished lapping an 8 x 10 x 2 black that was curved like a banana. I had to resort to silica sand on concrete to get the party started. I noticed in the thread that a lot of you are using mineral oil on blacks and trans......Ever try WD 40?
I mention WD 40 because of it's low viscosity and swarf lifting ability I find second to none. If they stop making WD 40 I'll end up shaving with an electric razor. It allows the blade to interact with the stone better for me than heavier oils. Almost water like viscosity allows me to use it on Coticules with slurry also. Yes, I use mineral oil on lower grit Arkies and Indias/Carbos. It's amazing what WD will lift out of a stone. YMMV
Every One will Find their Own Way with Arkie Stones..There is No Right & Wrongs..I Have Zero Experience with Using Arkansas Stones as a Progression...I Use Naniwa Synthetics as My Progression & Only Use My Naturals as a Finisher for an Already Shave Ready Edge to 16 K.. I Put Down a 16 K or 16 K + Synthetic Lapping Film Edge on to My Surgical Black Arkansas which I Reckon has a 20 K Finishing Capacity..I Personally Use Bisley Gun Oil..I Dont get Any Swarf or Slurry Using My Stone Purely as a Finisher..A Few Minutes Turns the Edge Over to a Natural Edge in Jig Time for Me.. The MAIN ISSUE with any Finisher is that the Razor is Perfectly Bevel Set & Should Shave from the 1 K Bevel Hone..A Surgical Black or Translucent Arkansas Stone Will NOT FORGIVE ANY Honing Errors..Its Important to Know that because they Will Not Take Lightly to Honing Errors..So..They are NOT Ideal for Inexperienced Users & Not Ideal for All Kinds of Steel in My Humble Experience for Various Reasons.. Billy..
Just messed around relapping my arkies; soft, hard and surgical black, with some different grit finishes. Holy crap. That made a difference. The edges on my Henckels and GD feel like they've been honed on a Jnat or Thurigen. Thumbs up on Arkies!
Several members use nothing but Arkies, from what I remember, and have had excellent results. I guess you just have to take the time, and learn your stones.
I Lapp My Surgical Black Arkie to 2000 Grit Wet n Dry..As it Wares it Gets Even Smoother the Wet n Dry..It Sure Makes a Difference..Keeps Em as a Finisher Uber Smooth..I Use a 16/17 K Synthetic Film Shave Ready Edge before the Arkie...I Never Use it as a Lower Grit Progression Stone.. Billy..
If you need specific numbers for my Arks, let me know. I have one grit rating on one side and a different on the other.
mine was an Arkie Surgical Black, from Best Sharpening Stones. Wasnt totally flat. Most arent, if they arent from Dan's.
Two of mine are from Dan's, the soft and the hard. The surgical was from Rh Preyda. They used to Hall's mines and stones.