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Arkansas Love...Let's see those Arks!

timwcic

"Look what I found"
Welcomed this oldie but goodie to the rock pile, a 1880ish 6 inch Trans Ark in original box. Inside the lid is the older Pike “use sperm oil” label, very cool. Going have to preform some delicate surgery to remove this glued stone from the box without doing damage to either

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timwcic

"Look what I found"
I removed, soaked, and cleaned the stone. Was not the most difficult or the easiest to separate, but got it out of the bottom of the case. Was glued in with a latex, rubber, silicon type material. Also removed and replaced the blonde wood repairs that was on the boths end with some darker walnut. Stone is in surprisingly good condition, but can tell it ancient. Straight edge has it perfectly flat over the surface. Does have some strange personality traits when compared to other trans Arks. Has a internal fault throughout between the top and bottom. Light from my cell travels thru nicely. Interesting effect the way the fault blocks the light at the edge but travels thru in the center. Does that around the whole stone. There is a small touch-o-scotch on one of the corners. This in the most interesting discovery. Comparing specific gravity to others and this stone has a high S.G. of 2.74, 364g dry and a 133g suspended in water. Of all my Arks, that is the highest measurement yet with my Porcelain White Novaculite and 40’s Norton S.B. coming in close behind. The mine had some dense veins 140 or so years ago. I am not going to lap or polish the surface. It is covered with micro scratches that give it a nice bite under thin oil. Another score that I am luck to be it’s caretaker until I pass it on

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One thing I've learned from here(b&b) that they don't teach you at school is flattening and maintenance of any kind of honing surface, especially Arkansas stones.

First one is a real tiny Hard, good to have if your outdoors for a short while and need something to accompany one or a few smaller whittling blades and a little gouge perhaps. Wierd measurements of 59 x 24 x 5.5 mm.

Second, is a bunch of files or slips, furthest to the left is a nice translucent that always leaves me happy, but wanting for a bigger surface. Same goes for all the tiny ones. Good to have for some work but pointless for most.

Third, is a nice 5 x 2 x 1 Soft that I gave not even 10 euros for. At the time I bought it it was lightly used and had intact edges, and further shenanigans like perfect box and a etiquette that fell off the first time I took it out. Really nice to have a stone from that era (40s,50s?) when they where norton/pike/manning and are supposed to produce awesome results with their stones. It's a nice connection to have.

Fourt, is a bit of a story.
I bought a 4 x 1 soft, because I didn't really know what a soft was all about. So good way to try it out is to use it alot. So pairing it with the little whittling kit and round one edge off for gouges and dropped it a couple of days later, and I shattered. Glued it together with 2component epoxy, witch worked for a while until it separated again. Cleaned of old glue with thinner and glued it back together again, flattened it on both sides and glued it to a handle of some sorts. I had some quarter sawed hornbeam finally came to use. The handle is really handy since I can use more pressure and it keeps more still. But loose the underside of the stone which is a bummer but the practicality makes up for that I belive. Its so small that maintenance is real fast.

That's it for me, I really love my arks.

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Thank you @Toro Blanco it was a exciting find. The blood pressure went up when I saw it. It might get better, I have a few in the dip soaking. See what come out in a few days

i’m kind of suprised you were excited. I feel like you have supplier with a magic carpet bag of neverending ridic stones. I cant open these threads anymore without looking away in pure jealousy.
 

timwcic

"Look what I found"
i’m kind of suprised you were excited. I feel like you have supplier with a magic carpet bag of neverending ridic stones. I cant open these threads anymore without looking away in pure jealousy.

HAHAHA, I will give you safe passage to the threads for a few days. Rain expected from 2-9 am. No flea markets for Sunday
 
I
HAHAHA, I will give you safe passage to the threads for a few days. Rain expected from 2-9 am. No flea markets for Sunday
I would love to go shopping with you one day. Your finds are sensational. There doesn’t seem to be much of interest out here.
 

timwcic

"Look what I found"
Crossed a stone off my bucket list. A antique 8 inch Hard Arkansas with the old Pike label. Guessing a turn of the century hone in fabulous condition. It lost its box over the years and I had to make a repair the the label. It came to me wrapped in news paper dated 1998. Next stone on the “make a box” list

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Legion

Staff member
I found this small Arkansas pocket knife stone in a second hand shop the other day. I gave it a cleanup today, and it has a real red colour. I assume it is what is known as a soft Arkansas? Running my fingernail over it, it does not feel as smooth as my razor stones.

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Probably going to become my go to ark for finishing razors. The really awesome smoky gray trans with the black clouds. 2.689 specific gravity. I lucked out, this was glued in with animal glue and not the stone destroyer glue norton loved so much.
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David

B&B’s Champion Corn Shucker
Can’t believe they used hide glue on that one. I’ve had several in that same box with the devil glue. They must have ran out that day. Neat stone.
 
Idk what their thought process was during that period to use that glue. My only theory is that these boxes are lower quality than the early pike ones by quite a bit with more slop and they may have reasoned "we will just glue em down with something where they will never shift no matter how sloppy the fit and leave it at that." But wood shrinks over time, and some people just don't like boxes and want them out and you end up with the chicken mcnugget ripped out of the bottom of a lot of the best trans ark material ever.
 
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