Is there any detail you find more interesting than just the cool Smokey grey look? If the feedback was somehow better or the density was legitimately slightly higher or the cutting action slightly different I might be able to justify it but... I feel like for raw utility Dans has me covered already and the feedback is not bad and pretty easy to read for anyone.
Arkansas Love...Let's see those Arks!
- Thread starter David
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Is there any detail you find more interesting than just the cool Smokey grey look? If the feedback was somehow better or the density was legitimately slightly higher or the cutting action slightly different I might be able to justify it but... I feel like for raw utility Dans has me covered already and the feedback is not bad and pretty easy to read for anyone.
Well I don’t have a Dans, but my 8x2” woodcraft surgical black is jet black. I’ll spend some time with them this week and let you know what I think about them head to head.
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- #24
Here’s a massive vintage Translucent with a cool sliver of butterscotch bark on one end. It measures 10x3x1. Both ends are stamped but I can’t make out what it says.
It’ll be a couple days to compare these exact edges, but in general I feel there’s more variance from my inconsistency between two hard Arkansas’ edges than from the stones’
Nice stones gents. Here is mine 
A baby ark. Honestly the main reason I got it is because my kids love stones and wanted to show them a translucent rock. They were very excited about it. Maybe one day I will get a full size.
A baby ark. Honestly the main reason I got it is because my kids love stones and wanted to show them a translucent rock. They were very excited about it. Maybe one day I will get a full size. 
The coolest thread ever about my favorite stones! Ark Porn!
First 2 pictures are all vintage Norton Translucents. Largest 0ne is 8 x 2.
Picture 3, top 2 stones are a Hall's 10 x 2 and an Indian Mountain 8 x 2. Bottom 3 are Nortons.
Picture 4 is most of the oddball shapes and sizes that get a work out on things other than razors. Still Arks and still interesting. I put aluminum handles on the broken points so they would be useful again.
For me Arks have soul. When I get home from work, with my rough dry hands, I take a Hard Ark out of it's box and it sings as I rub my skin across it. The corners and edges of the translucent stones kind of fade out in a well lit room.....while singing. When honing on a properly prepared Ark, I find the feedback to be unique and satisfying in some strange way. Love, crave it, and can't wait to do it some more.
Lately I've been using the longest and cheapest hone of the lot and getting edges I never thought possible 6 months ago. I paid 25 bucks for the 10 x 2 Hall's on the Bay. I think it's just the extra length that's helping me out. All stones are lapped identically.
Keep in mind, I have hoarding tendencies, HAD, and I am a severe Arkaholic. My judgement is obviously skewed.
First 2 pictures are all vintage Norton Translucents. Largest 0ne is 8 x 2.
Picture 3, top 2 stones are a Hall's 10 x 2 and an Indian Mountain 8 x 2. Bottom 3 are Nortons.
Picture 4 is most of the oddball shapes and sizes that get a work out on things other than razors. Still Arks and still interesting. I put aluminum handles on the broken points so they would be useful again.
For me Arks have soul. When I get home from work, with my rough dry hands, I take a Hard Ark out of it's box and it sings as I rub my skin across it. The corners and edges of the translucent stones kind of fade out in a well lit room.....while singing. When honing on a properly prepared Ark, I find the feedback to be unique and satisfying in some strange way. Love, crave it, and can't wait to do it some more.
Lately I've been using the longest and cheapest hone of the lot and getting edges I never thought possible 6 months ago. I paid 25 bucks for the 10 x 2 Hall's on the Bay. I think it's just the extra length that's helping me out. All stones are lapped identically.
Keep in mind, I have hoarding tendencies, HAD, and I am a severe Arkaholic. My judgement is obviously skewed.
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- Thread starter
- #30
Is that 6x2 pink a norton?
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
Oh, my!
What a nice collection.
I believe you're eligible for the Double Convex Ark. You probably need both the convexed Black Translucent and the convexed White Translucent. I'd suggest asking Jarrod to find you a nice Pink Translucent convex, too.
Drooling I am...
Happy shaves,
Jim
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- #32
It all just sort of blended in together and is hard to make out
I couldn’t stand up from my desk for a few minutes after looking at that pink translucent. I need one.
Very highly doubt it. I don't think Norton let many pink stones passed QC just cause of their standards at the time. My guess is Dan's. About 12-15 years ago, Dan's was selling a TON of pink translucents. I actually bought a couple dozen and resold them to guys in the EU on eBay because apparently Arks were super difficult to get out there back then.
Yup, pink is a Norton HB6, probably from the 50's judging from the yellow and blue box. It was dirty black when I got it. Almost choked when it came out of the simple green bath.
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Nice, very rare to find pinkies from Norton. They generally binned almost everything that wasn't uniform color.
That disc shaped (axe stone I presume) is the real interesting one to me though. Don't think I've ever seen one before.
By the way, do you actually use those little tiny stick pieces? I've probably got a couple kicking around from lots that I could send your way if you like. They for sharpening saws and other serrated things, or what?
That disc shaped (axe stone I presume) is the real interesting one to me though. Don't think I've ever seen one before.
By the way, do you actually use those little tiny stick pieces? I've probably got a couple kicking around from lots that I could send your way if you like. They for sharpening saws and other serrated things, or what?
Lol ok you are right can’t make that out at all. Who knows though maybe someone will recognize the shape.
I would wager dollars to donuts it's a surgical supplies importer/distributer's stamp. Was probably a stone for use on microtomes in a lab. Most of the large coticules I've seen are... and I've seen many similar arks that were as well.
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- #39
Here’s an 8x2 War Eagle soft ark that’s easy on the eyes.
Wow that awesome. Are you able to feel the difference in the colours as you hone?
