That’s a classic woodworkers stone setup if I’ve ever seen one, so 90% chance it’s been previously used with either a mineral oil or some type of solvent up to kerosene weight and simple green will probably clean it up just fine.
Washitas go out of flat much faster than the harder Arkansas stones, but you’re still talking maybe annual reflattening in HARD daily woodworking use... it should still really be a flatten once or confirm flat and go stone for razors. For yours specifically it looks like you may want to bevel off the edges a smidge while you’re checking for flat.
As far as the leather on top the rough side out is a giveaway for it being a tool/knife use stone. You could just buy a nice piece of veg tanned leather and replace it with a smooth leather strop.
I just honed up and shaved with this one straight out of the eBay sellers packing:
View attachment 988407
It looks dirty but this is after scrubbing with Dr Bronners and confirming flatness. The grey looking areas are the “pepper” mentioned above and that section of stone is noticeably faster/coarser feeling than the bottom orange streaked region. It’s a 2x6, totally unlabeled but close enough to dimensionally perfect to be a Lower grade Norton.
The one you posted is probably a step up in consistency and finishing ability than my picture, but hard to say without testing. It’ll probably be able to flatten a bevel in no time with pressure and some half strokes, and if you finish on it with no pressure X strokes you’ll probably be able to jump to your finishing arks perfectly. If you’ve never done a good natural midrange progression you’re in for a treat! If you’ve previously tried Coti to Ark, it’ll be similar just a bit different.
Namkcakram I like those narrow stones!!
My Novaculite Family PortraitBut no matter what I finish on, when my blades start to loose there keenness and tug, they visit one of my hard arks. Arks deliver a finished edge that are unique only to themselves.
My Novaculite Family PortraitBut no matter what I finish on, when my blades start to loose there keenness and tug, they visit one of my hard arks. Arks deliver a finished edge that are unique only to themselves. With that statement of Ark love, here are some highlights of my collection of hard Arkansas stones. All are vintage stones and were found in wild over years of hunting. Each one made my day when I found and rescued. I have a few more floating around, but this bakers dozen are my highlights. Out of these 13, I have my sexy six. The ones I play with most. The first is my 9” porcelain white Novaculite. Then a big 9” surgical black from the late 1800’s. The next is a 8” transitioning translucent. Followed by my beauties, three butterscotch translucents. The last is more canary yellow, but I call it butterscotch. The one in the box with the initials is dated Sept, 1897
View attachment 988444 View attachment 988445 View attachment 988446 View attachment 988447 View attachment 988448
Here’s a neat one, a Carborundum labeled Washita. View attachment 988532
Vendor's photo.
In transit. Won @ auction today.
That a bit of strop on top of the box (on the left).
Link to product information.
Assuming this is a good Washita my Ark collection is complete.
View attachment 988378
I'm not sure if I should attempt to clean this stone by soaking it in Simple Green and such. Any advice?
Also, do you typically lap a vintage Washita? I would assume they need lapping only if a straight edge test shows they aren't entirely flat, but I want to know more than my uninformed opinion.
Any suggestions on cleaning and restoring the little strop area on top of the box, shown in the bottom photo, on the left?
Happy shaves,
Jim
Thanks so much.
I've honed on the Double Convex Ark 8x3 razors which were already sharp, just getting them DCA sharp, using both sides of the DCA.
I've also reset chipped or not well set bevels on the Chosera 1K and then gone directly to the soft side of the DCA. Finished on the hard side of the DCA of course. No stones other than the DCA and the Chosera.
I've also reset a bevel on a coticule, honed til done on the coticule (my patented Dilucot Oil Honing method), then finished on the DCA.
Never used any natural stone softer than the ones just mentioned. I know the Washita will be a new experience. Thanks for the answers and tips.
I have a piece of stropping leather which might be perfect (or I might save it and find something which will "do.").
Happy shaves,
Jim
I gotta stop coming here
You all are enabling my hone acquisition syndrome. Two convex arks, a coti, and an the hard white ark all in under 30 days.
I sealed my washita , same label after I jacked it up, with spray shellac, it then tolerated simple green soak, scrub and wash, they tend to load up and the scrubbing decreases need to re lapp
Speaking for myself and most gentlemen around these parts...
View attachment 988572
So, let me make sure I understand you.
You spray over the label and the area around the label, using something like this. Then you let it dry for a while. Then soak the stone in Simple Green (and maybe use paper towels and maybe do this a number of times).
The idea is to protect the valuable label and also get the stone nice and clean.
Is this about right for cleaning a vintage Washita stone (such as the one I have in transit)?
Thanks and happy shaves,
Jim
Part of my Arkie collection, Washitas in the back, Soft in front of those and an end slab Black from Dan's. the foreground translucent was also an end cut that I cut into a bench stone.
Yes, it was quite a chunk of rock. Lots of real estate and came as flat on the cut side as any of Dan's stones.My Dans black is a “primative” cut too. Is the translucent Dans?
My Novaculite Family Portrait
It is from Dan’s. I picked it out from a huge bin of primitive stones he had yesterday at the 2019 GA Blade show. Dan’s had a small vendors booth set up there. Lots of fun being able to hand select my stone.Heck yeah we should just flood this thread with rough cuts!
Is this one from Dan’s as well?