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Showing 1 of 68 conversations about:
shakin_jake
71
Jan 25, 2018
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FYI- I joined, would like to experiment with these stones on straight razors, with the understanding I'll need to add an Arkansas stone of a higher grit, to put a finish edge on the razors. FWIW I have used Belgian Coticles for razor honing in the past with much success yet have wanted to try using Arkansas stones just to change it up. That said I would be remiss if I didn't mention using a few Japanese Naturals for straight razors too, along with film
Dermott
267
Jan 31, 2018
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shakin_jakeIf you got the 3 stone set (with the hard black stone), there's not really any Arkansas stone with "higher grit" for you to move to. You likely won't find any improvement, if you're already sitting on Coticules and Japanese waterstones.
The Arkansas stones cut very slowly. Have to be very careful to avoid a wire edge on razors, but the hard black is usable. You'll definitely want to add oil, for this application. I find they're a bit rough on the edge without. Probably already know this, but you'll need to carefully avoid adding any downward pressure to the blade to keep the cutting slow and even.
The Arkansas stones cut very slowly. Have to be very careful to avoid a wire edge on razors, but the hard black is usable. You'll definitely want to add oil, for this application. I find they're a bit rough on the edge without. Probably already know this, but you'll need to carefully avoid adding any downward pressure to the blade to keep the cutting slow and even.
shakin_jake
71
Jan 31, 2018
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DermottNot looking for an improvement...just a different honing experience
Jean-da-bear
30
Feb 9, 2018
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shakin_jakeDespite reply above, there actually is a finer grade of Arkansas stone you can add to this 3-stone set: the hard translucent grade. I've had a 4-stone set from Dan's Whetstone Company for several years, and the translucent stone will definitely give you a significantly finer and more polished edge than the hard black. This small "traveling set" of stones (4" x 1" x 1/4") is very handy, but I find that they're getting harder to hold securely as my hands get older. This Massdrop set was a real bargain for the larger size, so I jumped on it, but I'm looking forward to completing it with a translucent stone at the 6" x 2" x 1/2" size.
shakin_jake
71
Feb 9, 2018
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Jean-da-bearThank you, I will likely buy the finer grade of Arkansas you speak of here, to sharpen/hone straight razors. I've used mostly coti stones for razor honing and as much as I enjoy shaving from that surface, I'm just looking to change it up. Buying this larger 3 stone set was a no brainer for me. That said, time is always of importance. I've been so busy, haven't used my cotis in quite a while but, most of the razors I shave with, still have a shave ready edge, due in no small part by knowing how to strop, shave, on and on. As a back up plan, I thought if my time was really pinched, or I lost interest in this side project, I could always give this three stone set to my carpenter. He isn't into sharpening any of his blades but he's a young man with plenty of time to learn. Again, just thinking out loud but I would like to play around with the Arkansas to craft a shave ready edge, just to learn how it's done with them. So little time, so many stones to hone with=:-)
Dermott
267
Feb 16, 2018
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Jean-da-bearDon't have a translucent, so cannot comment on them, personally. I've heard a lot of folks swear they cut finer than hard black. I should probably get one just to try, at this point.
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