They'd be good for fixing the lips on a 7.62x39 ar mag when they have feed problems. That's why I hang out here
Arkansas Love...Let's see those Arks!
- Thread starter David
- Start date
Used my 4x2 this evening. Not as wee and cute as some of the above, but sweet nonetheless 
I almost bought one of those the other day because I like my slip stone so much.Used my 4x2 this evening. Not as wee and cute as some of the above, but sweet nonetheless
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I don’t typically buy smaller stones but this came with a coti I bought on line. It measures 1”x3.5”
Looks like it's give a good finish after a coticule.
I haven't tried it but I'm sure you're right. I have a few other Arks that I use instead, it's a bit smaller than I like
I picked up another ark for the compact SR travel kit I’m putting together.
I thought that I was buying a cheap user grade stone. It had no box, no label and was all dirty and yellow when I bought it. After getting it home, it actually cleaned up quite nicely.
The yellow is all but gone now. The SG is right in the sweet spot at 2.64. The sides are smooth with a minimum chamfer, the ends are unfinished and a little jagged but no biggy. The corners are crisp and there are no chips or cracks. There is a single fissure that seems to be tight, stable and smooth. Probably just a part of the stone. As far as I can tell without lapping it, it is also dead flat on both sides. The working faces are slightly mirrored but mostly matt. There are some light scratches on the very ends. I suspect that who ever used this stone liked to run his strokes off the ends. The stone is also highly translucent. Ridiculously so actually. But it is also quite thin.
The seller had quite a few old trans Norton’s recently but they were all gone now. I got one of them. I have no way to prove it, but I suspect that this is a an unlabeled Norton HB26 for jewelers use. The dimensions and quality indicators are a perfect match. Those stones had labels printed on the face so it makes sense that it’s now gone.
All considered, I think this is a nice little find. My cheapest stone yet but quite possibly a diamond in the rough.
I thought that I was buying a cheap user grade stone. It had no box, no label and was all dirty and yellow when I bought it. After getting it home, it actually cleaned up quite nicely.
The yellow is all but gone now. The SG is right in the sweet spot at 2.64. The sides are smooth with a minimum chamfer, the ends are unfinished and a little jagged but no biggy. The corners are crisp and there are no chips or cracks. There is a single fissure that seems to be tight, stable and smooth. Probably just a part of the stone. As far as I can tell without lapping it, it is also dead flat on both sides. The working faces are slightly mirrored but mostly matt. There are some light scratches on the very ends. I suspect that who ever used this stone liked to run his strokes off the ends. The stone is also highly translucent. Ridiculously so actually. But it is also quite thin.
The seller had quite a few old trans Norton’s recently but they were all gone now. I got one of them. I have no way to prove it, but I suspect that this is a an unlabeled Norton HB26 for jewelers use. The dimensions and quality indicators are a perfect match. Those stones had labels printed on the face so it makes sense that it’s now gone.
All considered, I think this is a nice little find. My cheapest stone yet but quite possibly a diamond in the rough.
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I can't recall but did they make HIB 26 or just HIB 27. I had a old pike catalog and a HB 28 was $1.20 and HIB 27 was $2.20.
Crazy nice stone never the less!
I really like arks. They have a lot going for them
1. Easy to use
2. Crazy sharp edges
3. Comfortable shaves
4. Excellent value
5. Highly consistent
6. Cut even the hardest steel
7. Don’t put excessive wear on razors
8. Last forever
9. Low maintenance
10. Smooth feel while honing
11. Fortunately still being mined and readily available in good razor quality and a range of sizes
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For I moment I thought that was the exact one I bought as a birthday present to myself this year, but it isn't. Same vendor though.
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Yours looks nice! I imagine most old Arks here are Norton, as Australian Abrasives were either an agent, or subsidiary of Norton - I have a stone marked both Norton and AA.
Nice! In a way I’m kind of glad the label is gone. I like to finish both sides. One matt and the other burnished. It would be a real shame to sand it off. I don’t know if I could bring myself to it.
That's a good point... that HB26 of mine above had been barely used when I got it, if at all, and the (bottom non-printed) surface is still quite aggressive. Good for very fine knife stuff, but I've not managed to get a good razor edge off it the couple of times I've tried.
Did I say flat? That may have been wishful thinking. A little lapping on the surface plate soon reveals the truth. It wasn’t far off but it took a bit of work.
Several hours, some loose SIC and 15 sheets of WD later the stone is looking pretty good. All of that was enough to remove 0.1mm of width. Down to 11.2mm now. I kind of enjoy prepping arks. It’s a labour of equal parts love and insanity.
These stones will literally last forever. I estimate thing type of intervention is a once in a generation event. Maybe less with razor use. At this rate a 1 inch stone would last about 7,000 years of active service.
Several hours, some loose SIC and 15 sheets of WD later the stone is looking pretty good. All of that was enough to remove 0.1mm of width. Down to 11.2mm now. I kind of enjoy prepping arks. It’s a labour of equal parts love and insanity.
These stones will literally last forever. I estimate thing type of intervention is a once in a generation event. Maybe less with razor use. At this rate a 1 inch stone would last about 7,000 years of active service.
Wife got me a hard black arkansas from dans for my birthday and this other little gem came in. There is a stone in the box but I've got no idea what it is I thought it was a strop at first.
What size is the Dan's?
@Wid 8" x 2", apparently my wife loves me for some reason...
Thanks!
