Arkansas Progression

[Bowmaker]

I have finished an edge comparison between a thuringian, Escher and a soft hard ark combo. Same razor, edge killed in the side of the stones and freshly honed. The Thuringians went from slurry to finish on clear water, the combo stone just used what I had. The soft ark side is plenty fine with a soft touch to jump over to the hard but I don't much care for the soft when I have washita's, but I did it any way. The ark is one of those second rate stones sold as a translucent but isn't really.

It's all pretty subjective but the ark edge was sharper and in my opinion more comfortable too. I think I have less than forty bucks invested in that ark combo stone.

 

[Empire straights]

I have finished an edge comparison between a thuringian, Escher and a soft hard ark combo. Same razor, edge killed in the side of the stones and freshly honed. The Thuringians went from slurry to finish on clear water, the combo stone just used what I had. The soft ark side is plenty fine with a soft touch to jump over to the hard but I don't much care for the soft when I have washita's, but I did it any way. The ark is one of those second rate stones sold as a translucent but isn't really.

It's all pretty subjective but the ark edge was sharper and in my opinion more comfortable too. I think I have less than forty bucks invested in that ark combo stone.

Those are some nice stones, the one on left looks very much like my lyn idwal. Yeah the beautifu of arks is they get sharper than the dickens like on a synthetic waterstone but without being as bitey i finish every blade i sharpen i finish on a translucent(wife bought me a sb from Dan's for my bday but i told her id wait until my bday to use it) no matter what i use before. Ive got a thuri, vintage la lunes, vintage and new coticules, purple welsh2q slate, lyn idwal, and others but each edge feels like it's missing something and that something is a truly hard arkansas, preferably a vintage one.

 

[Bowmaker]

Those are some nice stones, the one on left looks very much like my lyn idwal. Yeah the beautifu of arks is they get sharper than the dickens like on a synthetic waterstone but without being as bitey i finish every blade i sharpen i finish on a translucent(wife bought me a sb from Dan's for my bday but i told her id wait until my bday to use it) no matter what i use before. Ive got a thuri, vintage la lunes, vintage and new coticules, purple welsh2q slate, lyn idwal, and others but each edge feels like it's missing something and that something is a truly hard arkansas, preferably a vintage one.

I think you will love the Dans black. The couple I have are super dense, very high quality.

I enjoy playing with different razors and hones, it's part of the journey for me. Thuri's are pretty awesome hones and I think easier than arks. I just made the post as an example to show folks that they don't need to spend a lot of money on hones to sharpen their razors, it can be done really economically and still get really good results.

The color is off on the green thuri, it's not that dark, I'm terrible with a camera.

 

[Empire straights]

I think you will love the Dans black. The couple I have are super dense, very high quality.

I enjoy playing with different razors and hones, it's part of the journey for me. Thuri's are pretty awesome hones and I think easier than arks. I just made the post as an example to show folks that they don't need to spend a lot of money on hones to sharpen their razors, it can be done really economically and still get really good results.

The color is off on the green thuri, it's not that dark, I'm terrible with a camera.

I absolutely agree with you. A washita and a hard ark are what american men used for their razors for multiple generations i think that's a good economical start, it was for me.

 

[Empire straights]

I think you will love the Dans black. The couple I have are super dense, very high quality.

I enjoy playing with different razors and hones, it's part of the journey for me. Thuri's are pretty awesome hones and I think easier than arks. I just made the post as an example to show folks that they don't need to spend a lot of money on hones to sharpen their razors, it can be done really economically and still get really good results.

KThe color is off on the green thuri, it's not that dark, I'm terrible with a camera.

You know my thuri is my only hone that i feel like i really must be lacking technique or patience or something because i get about equal sharpness of a good quality coticule for me. The way people talk about thuris ive got to be doing something wrong because I'm not too impressed by mine but i haven't really put in the bench time. Maybe i'll unlock its secrets soon.

 

[Bowmaker]

I absolutely agree with you. A washita and a hard ark are what american men used for their razors for multiple generations i think that's a good economical start, it was for me.

Ya, I got pissed off buying replacement cartridge's, so I looked at electric razors. No money to be saved there and I already had a pile of arks, so I ordered a kamisori off the bay, thinking I would save a bunch of money....

 

[Bowmaker]

You know my thuri is my only hone that i feel like i really must be lacking technique or patience or something because i get about equal sharpness of a good quality coticule for me. The way people talk about thuris ive got to be doing something wrong because I'm not too impressed by mine but i haven't really put in the bench time. Maybe i'll unlock its secrets soon.

I think those are the only two that I own but I have another stone that some folks here think is a thuri, and maybe it is, they for sure know more about them than me. It's obviously cut for razors, but it is in no way in the same class as those pictured. I consider it almost a finisher.

There are only so many ways a guy can hold his mouth trying to get the most out of a stone.



[url=https://flic.kr/p/2k1oTa3]

 

[Empire straights]

I think those are the only two that I own but I have another stone that some folks here think is a thuri, and maybe it is, they for sure know more about them than me. It's obviously cut for razors, but it is in no way in the same class as those pictured. I consider it almost a finisher.

There are only so many ways a guy can hold his mouth trying to get the most out of a stone.



[url=https://flic.kr/p/2k1oTa3]

Thats a huge one if so!

 

[2bit_collie]

I have managed not to fall down the rabbit hole of hones, … yet. But was looking to upgrade the low end up my range. I’m perfectly happy with my Dan’s black Ark as a finisher and I have a hard Ark that can serve as the set-up stone. I normally bevel set on a Shapton 2k, but if there is a fair amount of work to be done I have a 320? Shapton then a pair of mud brick Kings at 800 and 1200. The King’s work OK, but I hate using them because they take a week to dry out after a session.

Yesterday I received some naturals that I‘m hoping might displace the King hones.

On the left is a brand new Norton Clear Creek (formerly known as Queer Creek) It is a really rough stone. Not sure if it is coarser than my Shapton 320, but its rough. On the right is a vintage Smith Washita. To the touch it feels similar to my King 1200, perhaps even a touch smoother. I gave them a quick spin yesterday with some crappy steak knives - both went dark with dwarf pretty quickly. I was using Norton honing oil, which the Clear Creek seemed to want to soak up like a sponge.

The Clear Creek seems too rough for a razor that doesn’t have serious damage, but I may try the Washita for bevel setting during my next honing session. I think I currently have 6 blades queued up for honing right now. So the thought is Washita, hard Ark, black Ark. Make sense?

 

[2bit_collie]

I have managed not to fall down the rabbit hole of hones, … yet. But was looking to upgrade the low end up my range. I’m perfectly happy with my Dan’s black Ark as a finisher and I have a hard Ark that can serve as the set-up stone. I normally bevel set on a Shapton 2k, but if there is a fair amount of work to be done I have a 320? Shapton then a pair of mud brick Kings at 800 and 1200. The King’s work OK, but I hate using them because they take a week to dry out after a session.

Yesterday I received some naturals that I‘m hoping might displace the King hones.
View attachment 1318994

On the left is a brand new Norton Clear Creek (formerly known as Queer Creek) It is a really rough stone. Not sure if it is coarser than my Shapton 320, but its rough. On the right is a vintage Smith Washita. To the touch it feels similar to my King 1200, perhaps even a touch smoother. I gave them a quick spin yesterday with some crappy steak knives - both went dark with dwarf pretty quickly. I was using Norton honing oil, which the Clear Creek seemed to want to soak up like a sponge.

The Clear Creek seems too rough for a razor that doesn’t have serious damage, but I may try the Washita for bevel setting during my next honing session. I think I currently have 6 blades queued up for honing right now. So the thought is Washita, hard Ark, black Ark. Make sense?

One follow-up: When I bought the Smith Washita the choices (for similar prices) were between this 3.5” x 2.5” Smith and several Buck Knife #134, which are about 4.5” x 2”. In the end I decided I would take the extra width over the extra length. Easier to hit the entire blade with circles or half strokes I figure. If it was a finishing stone I might have gone the other way. For sure the #134 came with much nicer wooden boxes.