good day all -
I have been tempted to purchase one of the highly regarded Arkansas stones. With some comments already through the various threads, I feel I have the information needed to make a choice but happy to hear more opinions.
Currently the items I have to consider -
Am i missing anything to consider?
Thank you for your advice
I have been tempted to purchase one of the highly regarded Arkansas stones. With some comments already through the various threads, I feel I have the information needed to make a choice but happy to hear more opinions.
Currently the items I have to consider -
- Lapping the stones - I am in a relatively temporary place and dont have much inclination to tackle a major exercise here. I understand I might not get away with not doing something in this regard.
- Cost - I am far away from the US or Europe, down in South Africa, so rate of exchange and the cost for shipping is a killer. I used a forwarding service in the past while, but i can add another $100 dollars onto whatever I buy just to make sure I get it reliably. I will take the opportunity to get a few special books to make use of shipment. This cost can be reduced by maybe $20 if i ship only a stone, or only a couple books so its worth it to add a few. Probably stuck here too - if I want the certainty in quality and ease of prep. I could wiat for a few months for a family member visiting but I might not have the patience for that.
- Stone classifications - i want a final finisher for now. Adding only this new variable will hopefully see me use it effectively at first and gain an appreciation for this group of stones. I read that the trans vs black for final finisher is a moot point, differences being cosmetic mostly. The trans stones are significantly more expensive too
- Size - i also read that the laps can be a few hundred - even more than the zulu grey. Thus i believe an 8" is preferable - these are significantly more $ than a 6" though - anyone have major hassle using a 6"? maybe a 6x3 or an 8x2. I think I would prefer an 8" stone myself
- Suppliers - I have taken on board comments about reliability in quality from varied suppliers - this also affects costs significantly (and also removes the option of vintages and aucton sites for me). With my location and forwarding, US sites are easiest for me. Does anyone have any opinions here? Some of the sharpening sites have black stones - are these not equal grade - or just take more work to prepare - or are just risky as you dont know what you may get?
Am i missing anything to consider?
Thank you for your advice