I recently acquired a small "hard" Arkansas marketed by Preyda (ex-Hall's). It has fissures on the surface, and I was not impressed based on what I've received in the past from Dan's Whetstone. Especially for a black hard Arkansas, I would suggest one from Dan's. Also, as I recall, with Preyda, there are some complaints about the "Dunston" black hard not being all that hard in the end, it being preferable to use their "translucent black." A black translucent from Dictum that I've used in France is very good, but it comes at a price.
Must be my heavy hand, but I like the edge off a coticule used with baby oil (perfumed mineral oil available in the States), provided that the coticule is used after an extended synth progression. Last night, I rewrote a bevel and edge with my sequence of 37mm x 160mm Shapton G7 hones, ending with the one marked 0.85 microns. Then I did a few dozen laps on a 37mm x 148mm old coticule used with baby oil. The result was quite good, the surface being like polished glass, with no need to move to something else.
On the other hand, if I follow a progression I've used for a long time, a Suehiro 1000/3000 combo followed by a coticule used with plain water, the shave is not close enough. I have to follow the coticule with an oiled purple slate to really make things happen. This I take to be where I left off in the synth progression.
Must be my heavy hand, but I like the edge off a coticule used with baby oil (perfumed mineral oil available in the States), provided that the coticule is used after an extended synth progression. Last night, I rewrote a bevel and edge with my sequence of 37mm x 160mm Shapton G7 hones, ending with the one marked 0.85 microns. Then I did a few dozen laps on a 37mm x 148mm old coticule used with baby oil. The result was quite good, the surface being like polished glass, with no need to move to something else.
On the other hand, if I follow a progression I've used for a long time, a Suehiro 1000/3000 combo followed by a coticule used with plain water, the shave is not close enough. I have to follow the coticule with an oiled purple slate to really make things happen. This I take to be where I left off in the synth progression.