Convex club.

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I did notice some manual defects on my stone ... from human processing... ez enough to stay away or I’ll fix it when I finish my master tiles....

My 8x3 DCA has a corner which is a bit rough on its soft side. I mentioned it to Jarrod. This was his reply.

Yes, it is common for a stone to feel different in different places, and especially when breaking it in. Just because it has the general form of a sphere/ellipse, it is still many many miles of hard living to get where the whole thing's super smooth. I have to work at that for months on my big soft Ark used in the office and then it feels great. Try a big fat flat head screwdriver and a bit of Ballistol and just run it without caution upon all the coarser areas until you can get some sheen off of them. Eventually, they'll settle as much as they can, and then the roughing stone with the concave side will prove useful.

His reference to the roughing stone is to the little $11 stone he sells which has a concave side and a convex side. I have purchased one.

I've done no post purchase finishing of my DCA. Just used it. I may take a screwdriver to it as Jarrod advised.

My other Arks were polished on a marble tile with 320 and 600 grit SIC powder, each powder about 20 minutes of figure 8s. That's it. From there I've just used them.

All my Arks seem to work fine but I suspect all may improve over time.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[kohalajohn]

What I have been doing recently is comparing a convex ark edge to a diamond pasted balsa edge.

Two identical razors.

Although the ark does not really need to be done every time, I am using the ark with light pressure, every day.

The .1u of course, must be done every time.

I think the ark edge is benefiting from daily attention. Eventually I'll drop down to just saturday morning only.

But what's interesting is that shaving with both razors, is how similar they feel.

The both feel sharp and comfortable.

Maybe I lack some sensibilities here, but I'm really having trouble telling the difference here. And that's a vote for the ark, as .1u diamond dust on balsa should be giving the sharpest edge possible.

Anybody else doing comparisons?

 

[Dzaw]

Sort of...

I don’t have the ark that is deliberately convexed, but I did transition all of my razors from 0.1 micron paste to the black ark from Dan’s which I dressed at 800 grit.

The edges from the Ark do seem slightly less aggressively sharp, but oh, so much more forgiving. I cut myself so much less, and have so much less razor burn the difference is night and day.

Sometimes I do miss the laser sharp edge from pasted balsa, as there are spots on my face that challenge the Ark edge, but overall my shave quality has improved immensely.

 

[Basil]

I kept one of my razors finished on a coti and I took that edge to the ark and found it much sharper but pretty smooth. I am planning on taking a similar blade that I have finished on a jnat to the black ark to see if it becomes even sharper but just as smooth after.

 

[SliceOfLife]

I'd really like to see 0.1 micron pasted edges under a powerful scope before and after the shave. I've had a number of razors that lost a LOT out of the edge off finishes in the 1 micron range. I doubt many could support a .1 without serious damage unless the rounding effect is pretty huge. Kind of curious if edge damage is the cause of the "harshness" of these ultra-fine pastes vs the less refined ~.5-2micron ones.

 

[Biglo13]

What I have been doing recently is comparing a convex ark edge to a diamond pasted balsa edge.


Maybe I lack some sensibilities here, but I'm really having trouble telling the difference here. And that's a vote for the ark, as .1u diamond dust on balsa should be giving the sharpest edge possible.

Anybody else doing comparisons?

convex translucent ark for the win also

i'm finding that my convex translucent (my best edges so far) are Diamond Pasted Balsa .25 micron or better.

i also think most of my razors usually won't tolerate .1 micron DPB edge

as my honing practice advances, i've found the .25 DPB was my sharp and comfortable zone, with naked leather bench strop for the final

recent finding is that the convex ark alone will often get me to .25 + DPB level of sharp regularly on its own and i find i'm preferring this edge, more comfortable than .25 DPB or any DPB finished edge

but today the .1 DPB improved on convex trans ark but it was so sharp it crossed over into uncomfortable. my barber used it today on razor fade he even commented on how uber / over the top sharp it was. i couldn't feel the hair getting cut. i cleaned up side burn area with same razor when i got home, had loads of alum feedback/AS burn/ irritation.

 

[Namkcakram]

Never used diamond so no real comment there, but I constantly compare and play with natural edges. I like to watch how the edge changes between honing sessions and I find ark edges actually hold up for quite a while between honings.

 

[Basil]

This Le grelot had a jnat edge previously. Honed on a hard ozuku and finished with a Koma nagura until diluted to misty water. Edge was sharp and comfortable for my last shave.

Decided today to put it on the convex ark and see how it does. Used liquid soap and some water as I was honing. Did about 100 laps and the blade treetops much easier. Shave test will determine how it feels though.

 

[Namkcakram]

This Le grelot had a jnat edge previously. Honed on a hard ozuku and finished with a Koma nagura until diluted to misty water. Edge was sharp and comfortable for my last shave.

Decided today to put it on the convex ark and see how it does. Used liquid soap and some water as I was honing. Did about 100 laps and the blade treetops much easier. Shave test will determine how it feels though. View attachment 987584

If you had it finished to Koma level it’ll probably be a small step up in keen and possibly a step up in forgiveness too. I’m tuned in now.

 

[Basil]

If you had it finished to Koma level it’ll probably be a small step up in keen and possibly a step up in forgiveness too. I’m tuned in now.

Yeah this koma produces a finer edge than my previous tomo so I’m quite happy with it. So far I’m noticing better sharpness indicators with the ark. I wasn’t going to shave today since I shaved last night and it wouldn’t be a proper edge test. But tempted to give it a go.

 

[MO1]

I also like to go to the ark after the jnat.
I can get my razor plenty sharp from my jnats, but my last tomo is very hard and the abrasive is quite agressive but polishes nicely after my koma, it doesnt show under the microscope but it feels like it leaves abit of teeth after the tomo. taking that same edge to the ark refines it just slightly and smoothes the edge out just right, all that is needed is just a few laps on the ark.

 

[Namkcakram]

The right JNAT combo will push an edge keener than any ark will, but it has to be the right combo and progression.

Almost any decent finishing ark can push an edge keener than the wrong JNAT progression, even if that progression is great but maybe just not ideal for the blade in question. Arks are also nearly a brain dead operation... choose your oil/fluid, place razor flat and absolutely do not lift spine or allow the shoulder to lift the angle, rub around however you want on the surface. Hazy polish achieved.

 

[kohalajohn]

And the simplicity is why I like arks.

I get that mastering the complexity of multiple naguras would be satisfying. It's a hobby.

But I also note that those who have mastered jnats eventually turn toward simplicity as well. The well known doc226, just uses a worn atoma 1200 to create slurry (and flatten his hard jnat at the same time) and then progresses with lightening pressure as he goes.

Seems to work. So I'm trying to copy that. Really pay attention to my connection to the surface, and lighten the pressure toward the end. Seems to work.

 

[Biglo13]

if its a brain dead process, then call me brain dead. I am extremely happy with the convex trans ark!!!!

i just got the sharpest hone job i've ever done!!! my last 2 stones were a new to me coti, then the convex trans ark. On a Genco Henry's X

I didn't think i would ever say this but it is almost too sharp. My regular light pressure, left me with a nicks and irritation. I finished shave with thinner lather and almost no pressure, it was hard to tell razor was cutting hair!!!

i mentioned in earlier my stone had a small rough spot.... i now love it, few passes over that easily avoidable area and no more trouble spots on my edge.....

 

[Basil]

Shaved tonight with the Le grelot I honed on the convex ark last night.

Like I suspected it was superb. Sharpness test off the hone were spectacular last night. Strop and shave tonight and the shave test got the thumbs up.

The blade was already very sharp from my ozuku but the ark was able to refine it just a bit more. Smoothness was pretty much the same. Didn’t notice any irritation or burn from the witch hazel.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

The right JNAT combo will push an edge keener than any ark will, but it has to be the right combo and progression.

I have no experience with the jnats, and am not arguing the point, but are you including in your statement the Convex Ark finishing stone skillfully used?

Just curious as to your point of view since this is a DCA 8x3 thread. (And comparing the DCA edge with jnat edges or coticule edges or whatever seems perfectly acceptable to me.)

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[kohalajohn]

Shaved tonight with the Le grelot I honed on the convex ark last night.

Like I suspected it was superb. Sharpness test off the hone were spectacular last night. Strop and shave tonight and the shave test got the thumbs up.

The blade was already very sharp from my ozuku but the ark was able to refine it just a bit more. Smoothness was pretty much the same. Didn’t notice any irritation or burn from the witch hazel.

View attachment 987955

oooh and a simpsons and proraso too.

 

[Basil]

oooh and a simpsons and proraso too.

Haha yeah the Simpson I bought maybe 6 years ago from the dr Harris store in London. The proraso was a more local purchase, Lol but I did have a tube that I bought in Venice years ago that I finished fairly quickly!

 

[kohalajohn]

I can report back that changing my honing style has improved things.

I usually hone in the air, freehand. Probably because I'm often using pasted balsa.

Anyway, I noticed I was not getting under cut on the toe at the upstroke.

So I honed on the table, with a finger on my off hand, sliding along the spine as the razor slid along the stone.

I began to get a feel, both by looking at white ballistol undercut, and also the sound, that indeed, now, every point was getting equal attention on the convex stone. The tells were working out very well.

And the resulting shave was improved. The improvement was noticeable. It was good before, but it's getting remarkable now.

I'm going to keep honing this way.

 

[Basil]

I can report back that changing my honing style has improved things.

I usually hone in the air, freehand. Probably because I'm often using pasted balsa.

Anyway, I noticed I was not getting under cut on the toe at the upstroke.

So I honed on the table, with a finger on my off hand, sliding along the spine as the razor slid along the stone.

I began to get a feel, both by looking at white ballistol undercut, and also the sound, that indeed, now, every point was getting equal attention on the convex stone. The tells were working out very well.

And the resulting shave was improved. The improvement was noticeable. It was good before, but it's getting remarkable now.

I'm going to keep honing this way.

This is interesting. Total case of ymmv because I found hand holding has given me better results when I hone

Just goes to show you that what works for one person might not work for others.

Also a very important point with this wetshaving adventure. Just because someone likes or does something a certain way doesn’t mean it will be the same for you.