It's a carbo, sorry. Most likely a two sided in my experience... you're probably looking at the fine or medium side, with a coarse side underneath.
It's a carbo, sorry. Most likely a two sided in my experience... you're probably looking at the fine or medium side, with a coarse side underneath.
Not to argue, but how do you know?
I know the bottom one I pictured isn't a natural stone and I explained why (besides looking at it), but what about the top stone or its box tells you it's a carbo?
Just trying to learn something here. If mine's a carbo it's not the end of the world.
Happy shaves,
Jim
You mean the hard black finishing stones, right, like the Black Hard, Surgical Hard, Translucent Hard?
The nomenclature and grading systems are nothing if not a pain, but my understanding is there are several grades of "hard" Arks, but not all are even remotely finishing stones. Here's Dan's version of it.
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I'm pretty sure you know all this, but maybe someone else won't. Personally, I find it very confusing, and I find it difficult to describe the Ark I'm using in a way I know will make sense to other guys.
To make it worse, this isn't the only system and vendors sometimes use their own or one new to me. For instance my Double Convex Ark 8x3 from Superior Shave has on the hard side a Black
Translucent Ark.
I'm looking around for a nice Washita. There are plenty around including one which may or may not be suitable but it's sold all over the place, new, linked. Mostly I don't find any new ones. My understanding is the mine, owned by Norton, is not being actively mined at present.
Happy shaves,
Jim
Color and texture combined with packaging just looks to be the lighter colored/finer grit side of that generation double sided carbo
that chart is decieving i have a vintage #1 washita and it is not coarse, my guesstimate is 5-8K, mine is from the pike/wahsita/behr period, i cant speak regarding modern washita. I didn't understand this stone early on, i'm very happy i did not sell it!!!!
Many older stones (not Norton) used Ouachita as a marketing term.
I've encountered plenty of unlabeled Washita that I would have no trouble believing predated Pike/Norton. Always suspected their sources either ran dry or were bought by Norton to corner the market back when Washita was basically the undisputed best hone on earth for woodworkers.
Washita's are really easy to ID in my opinion... but then again, I learned stone ID'ing on Thuringians... so most anything is easy beside them... cept maybe Yellow Lakes or some other black slate.
Washita's are really easy to ID in my opinion..
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.
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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