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Convex club.

In a way I'm doing the same thing.

Some razors in my rotation are maintained on the ark every saturday. Even if I haven't used the razor that week. The ark is so slow and gentle that I'm not worried about overhoning.
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\I'm wanting to see if, over the months, some of the razors keep on improving. I think they might.
 

kelbro

Alfred Spatchcock
I have never experienced overhoning on a regular flat Arkie.

I've done hundreds of strokes before while I was trying to think of a solution to a problem.
 
Yeah if you mean overhoning like messing up the edge, it’s not happening... if by over honing you mean honing more often than necessary and causing unnecessary wear, then... I think most of us are guilty of this. At least arks are slow and gentle.
 
That’s really all the difference experience makes us reading feedback better. Unfortunately it can take a long time to learn one specific stone, and to see a major payoff you actually have to be reading feedback and making adjustments through the whole honing progression. I think it’s a positive thing to have a convexed soft ark glued to the convexed finisher, because if nothing else it’s a reminder that the prefinisher contributes to the finished edge too.

There’s a distinct difference in my edges when I go synth to 5k/8k then ark finisher vs when I go through all Arkansas stones from the beginning.
 
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There’s a distinct difference in my edges when I go synth to 5k/8k then ark finisher vs when I go through all Arkansas stones from the beginning.

Which one do you like better?
What is the difference?
I’m assuming the synth progression is faster?
 
Now that I've been using my trans black convex ark for 4 months, there is no question that it produces a much better edge faster then other finishing stones. I am still experimenting on how often to use it. I've been using it on a lot of different types of razors. The Damascus really seem to take to this stone. Try using food grade mineral oil. I find it works the best.
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
Now that I've been using my trans black convex ark for 4 months, there is no question that it produces a much better edge faster than other finishing stones. I am still experimenting on how often to use it. I've been using it on a lot of different types of razors. The Damascus really seem to take to this stone. Try using food grade mineral oil. I find it works the best.

I may try that oil again.

When I used it in the past I found it too thick for my taste (pun unintended). I didn't enjoy the tactile sensation using it and found the viscosity got in my way. However, I also noticed that my edges got very sharp using mineral oil which is the important thing.

I'm not sure about "fast" with the convex Ark, but that's probably me and not the stone.

Happy shaves,

Jim
 
Mastro Livi told me about the mineral oil. He said to use food grade mineral on razors, strops and honing. It's not as much less viscosity. I use very little. Just enough to coat the stone. After a couple of laps, all you feel is the slickness of the stone and very little oil.
 
I agree. An extremely thick a layer of oil and your edge will just be floating above the stone. I would say use very little oil. Or water down the oil.​
 

duke762

Rose to the occasion
I've found that if I'm using a freshly lapped or refreshed, finishing Ark, I get better results with a little more mineral oil in the mix until the stone settles down. Then I go to a couple drops WD-40 with possibly a drop or 2 of mineral oil. If the stone is well run in, it's straight WD-40. Add a drop or 2 as needed. YMMV
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
I've been honing recently with mineral oil (again). Several times with this oil.

8-10-19.Honing.NortonConvex.Kukri.Kinfolks#1.640.JPG

I already had this brand of oil on hand, unopened and unused, so I used it.

Using a very small amount (just two or three drops) I was able to hone successfully. I'm not sure it's as good a lubricant as my usual Ballistol/water mix, but this particular mineral oil certainly seems more suitable to me than the others I've used. Perhaps I'm just better at understanding and using the stones now. It might not be the oil at all.

I think it's a bit more difficult to see the flow of the lubricant (the undercut and such) as opposed to the white Ballistol/water mixture, but once there's even a smidgeon of swarf to it that becomes a non issue to me.

Happy shaves,

Jim
 
Jim, how did you find the clean up, using mineral oil, as compared to Ballistol? I would think you'd lose Ballistol's convenience of being able to rinse it off with water.

If clean up is not a problem, then I may try the mineral oil. That's the oil within Ballistol anyway.

Maybe I can save my expensive Ballistol for the rifles.
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
Jim, how did you find the clean up, using mineral oil, as compared to Ballistol? I would think you'd lose Ballistol's convenience of being able to rinse it off with water.

If clean up is not a problem, then I may try the mineral oil. That's the oil within Ballistol anyway.

Maybe I can save my expensive Ballistol for the rifles.

Pretty much no substantial difference. I general overdo the Ballistol wash up by using a bit of soap on the stone along with some rubbing of surfaces with the heel of my hand. Did the same with the MO wash up using perhaps a tad more soap.

Obviously the MO requires more work, but it's not enough to even notice. I suspect if the oil were allowed to stay on the stone for a while (days, weeks, months, years) it would be a problem to remove. What am I saying, I know it would be a Simple Green problem involving multiple, lengthy soaks.

Happy shaves,

Jim
 
If you happened to end up with MO left on the stone, some Ballistol would likely take it off, as the Ballistol's emulsifier does that.

I think I'll give MO a try.
 
I just have to weigh in on this most epic of threads... I've been happily shaving away with straights now for four or five years and maintaining them with Naniwas and my two coticules, though I haven't been on B&B for a while. Last month I went to the TSS website for my annual soap and aftershave purchase, and what should I discover but he's selling Arkansas stones! Picked up a convex black translucent originally for a friend but figured I'd give it a try first! 400 or so laps and three shaves on a test razor later and my friend can buy his own darn stone because I'm keeping this one!

I could obviously write a whole series of posts / shave journal about tells that a totally blind person uses on different stones and how it's totally possible to get a nice sharp edge totally eyes-free, but right off the bat I like the way the edge sort of smooths out sound-wise 40 or so strokes into a set of 100 strokes. I'm getting to where I can actually feel the balistol coming up over the edge, and, more importantly and extremely fascinating to me, I can actually feel parts of the blade that *aren't* getting balistol! I always tried to do this on coticules with slurry but I just can't feel it as well. It's also crazy-fascinating that you can feel the up-hill and the down-hill, and the part of the blade that's getting the attention as you go. I hone on the counter, not with stone in my off-hand.

I haven't felt this way in a while, but it may be time to get an Ebay special and put it on the Naniwas (or try out the soft Ark I also picked up,) and then see what this finisher can do. Just had to share...
 
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