Very nice set up and a near guaranteed amazing shaves. Arks do something I haven't seen copied.You can never use too many stones in a progression, right?
This is an A.F. Seeberger “Nonpareil“ (circa 1890) that I have been restoring.
Front to back:
Shapton Pro 2k
Shapton Pro 5k
Washita (Pike 1st quality) SG ~ 2.1
Washita (LWW) SG ~ 2.2
Washita SG = 2.4
Dan’s Hard Ark SG ~2.5
Dan’s True Hard Ark SG ~ 2.7
I actually jumped over the most porous Washita after only a few strokes. I think it works well coming after the 2k, but is perhaps a little rough to come after a 5k. Tree-topping nicely after the strop. I skipped the pasted balsa, but will keep that in reserve. Hope to shave with it tomorrow.
View attachment 1394828
In other honing efforts, used the 1st and 3rd Washita on a Watanabe gyuto (Blue #2). I was stunned how fast the 1st Washita restored the edge to sharpness, maybe 2 mintutes work tops. Also started a Henry Sears & Son straight, but that had enough corrosion near the edge that I decided that I will drop down a grit level to clean it up. Unfortunately my King 1200 is currently engaged - squeezing liquid out a salmon fillet that is slowly turning into gravlax.Should be done with that job tomorrow.
What did you hone today?
- Thread starter ouch
- Start date
You can never use too many stones in a progression, right?
This is an A.F. Seeberger “Nonpareil“ (circa 1890) that I have been restoring.
Front to back:
Shapton Pro 2k
Shapton Pro 5k
Washita (Pike 1st quality) SG ~ 2.1
Washita (LWW) SG ~ 2.2
Washita SG = 2.4
Dan’s Hard Ark SG ~2.5
Dan’s True Hard Ark SG ~ 2.7
I actually jumped over the most porous Washita after only a few strokes. I think it works well coming after the 2k, but is perhaps a little rough to come after a 5k. Tree-topping nicely after the strop. I skipped the pasted balsa, but will keep that in reserve. Hope to shave with it tomorrow.
View attachment 1394828
In other honing efforts, used the 1st and 3rd Washita on a Watanabe gyuto (Blue #2). I was stunned how fast the 1st Washita restored the edge to sharpness, maybe 2 mintutes work tops. Also started a Henry Sears & Son straight, but that had enough corrosion near the edge that I decided that I will drop down a grit level to clean it up. Unfortunately my King 1200 is currently engaged - squeezing liquid out a salmon fillet that is slowly turning into gravlax.
Washitas are brilliant knife stones, I sharpen mostly Aogami steels too and they’re just excellent for it.
Nice knife too there
. I borrowed a friend’s Toyama 270 a few months back and was seriously impressed!I've been working on a Filarmonic DT13 for the last few weeks, and it was close but not quite there. It's actually been a few years off for me, so I didn't have a really good edge to compare against. I decided to get the stones out to do a little more work this morning. Focused a bit on the toe, trying to even out the bevel with a Chosera 1k. Then through Chosera 5K, 10K and finished on a Y/G Escher.
Also spent some time working on my strop, and I think this made the biggest difference today, because my progression on the stones is the same as before. This horsehide strop had always been quite hard, but especially so after years of neglect. I've been working some leather cream in over the last few weeks, but today I tried applying some water from a spray bottle, after reading that it can help raise the grain of the leather. It feels quite different stropping now - much more connected to the leather, where before it felt like it was just skipping and sliding over. Edge feels a lot better now too.. I think I've got the bug again
Also spent some time working on my strop, and I think this made the biggest difference today, because my progression on the stones is the same as before. This horsehide strop had always been quite hard, but especially so after years of neglect. I've been working some leather cream in over the last few weeks, but today I tried applying some water from a spray bottle, after reading that it can help raise the grain of the leather. It feels quite different stropping now - much more connected to the leather, where before it felt like it was just skipping and sliding over. Edge feels a lot better now too.. I think I've got the bug again
Touched up the ivory George Butler here on a new 10x2 green Thuri last night. This eve going to put the other on the Mizu Asagi (top) and maybe the black ark too.
Then later will probably give this Kiridashi a go on some new various green stones to have a look at scratch patterns and polishing on jigane/hagane.
Then later will probably give this Kiridashi a go on some new various green stones to have a look at scratch patterns and polishing on jigane/hagane.
I've started using my black norton hard ark a lot more recently and let me say that doing the entire blade on a les lat the finishing on that stone has produced some of the best edges I've shaved with. Those norton black arks are quite different(and finer) than any other hard ark I use. I love mine and some day will get a bigger one that a 5x2 slip stone, but for now it's plenty big enough.
I have to agree, I like the Norton's more that either of the Dan's stones I have. Bad thing is; they are like finding hens teeth around here
Yeah they are really rare. I love my Dan's stones but the grain on the Nortons seem much tighter and finer. They're amazing razor stones.
Couple of Wade and Butchers, briefly touched up on a Fujii 8k and then finished on a trans ark. Looking forward to the shaves.
Put the FWE on both sides of the coticule, followed by the llyn idwal, and an old Norton black hard arkansas. Wonderful shave, close and comfortable. In going to have to play with this coticule some more. They yellow side finished more like a fine slate than a coticule.
Last edited:
This Mr Beau Brummel was a royal PITA to hone. Basically have had to hone him 3 separate times. The first two times at the end, I inspect his edge and find small chips. I felt like that ugly mug was taunting me! The extra magnification 60-120x, beyond my orginal old loupe, sure slows down my honing process lately chasing away tiny nicks. I'm not even sure if they matter but feel obligated erasing them all.
Mr. Brummel ended on my safest finisher, pure thrui goodness. Alot of work resulted in a fantastic shave minutes ago.
Mr. Brummel ended on my safest finisher, pure thrui goodness. Alot of work resulted in a fantastic shave minutes ago.
Is that Ark a slip stone? There are quite a few of those around. I’m not sure they’d be easy to hold somehow.
Few things today...
Blenheim Forge Nakiri that my wife had let get rather rusty and beaten up in the last coupla months. Was cleaning up a Dalmore and decided to see what it was like soaked. Markedly softer, quicker and more aggressive. This probably finishes about 800-1k when soaked compared to 3-4k otherwise. Then a new, interesting Washita, with quite hard feedback. I need to lap and condition the surface I think. And a coti I got a while back and cleaned up today; not the fastest, bitey-est, stone on Aogami 2, probably better for razors:
Wilheim Weber on a superb Mizu Asagi. I love this stone:
And later a Mazaki 210, which is pretty much my favourite kitchen knife. When I got I thinned it down quite a lot behind the edge, and I just want to build a bit more convexity back into the rhs of the bevel for food release. A lightly dished SG500 should be perfect before I flatten it after. Then will probably bring out some polishing stones:
Blenheim Forge Nakiri that my wife had let get rather rusty and beaten up in the last coupla months. Was cleaning up a Dalmore and decided to see what it was like soaked. Markedly softer, quicker and more aggressive. This probably finishes about 800-1k when soaked compared to 3-4k otherwise. Then a new, interesting Washita, with quite hard feedback. I need to lap and condition the surface I think. And a coti I got a while back and cleaned up today; not the fastest, bitey-est, stone on Aogami 2, probably better for razors:
Wilheim Weber on a superb Mizu Asagi. I love this stone:
And later a Mazaki 210, which is pretty much my favourite kitchen knife. When I got I thinned it down quite a lot behind the edge, and I just want to build a bit more convexity back into the rhs of the bevel for food release. A lightly dished SG500 should be perfect before I flatten it after. Then will probably bring out some polishing stones:
Last edited:
You can shim an ark slip stone with a strip of Yoga mat.
You can get them cheap, mostly vintage translucents, work well as finishers. I have honed them, on top of a synthetic stone on a steelex holder.
You can get them cheap, mostly vintage translucents, work well as finishers. I have honed them, on top of a synthetic stone on a steelex holder.
Yoga mat sounds a good trick, might try similar in the future! Here’s my normal solution which I’ve done a few times to good effect...
This is a 5x2 Grecian slip mounted with a load of wood shavings underneath, and filled with epoxy:
I use Blu Tack to fill voids under wonky stones. Solid enough, but not too difficult to remove the stone if you need to.
Took a razor thru a full progression for someone just starting on straights, the edge had been rolled but not bad.
Did the normal C1k bevel and the 4/8k and finished on a natural nagura progression on a Nakayama Kiita
Did the normal C1k bevel and the 4/8k and finished on a natural nagura progression on a Nakayama Kiita
It's a 5x2 slip stone. I don't really have any trouble honing on it in hand. I've got a translucent norton slip stone I hone razors on too, it's a little trickier.
I worked on this 6/8 J.A. Henckels Zwillingswerk Square Point this morning. I bought it for a nice price and the previous owner tells me that it "wouldn't hold an edge". I suspect improper strop strokes/method. However, that's in the past because I set the bevel on a Shapton 1K and worked on the Wakasa Lv.5 with Botan slurry.
I'm not in a hurry so, this will take a few days to maybe a week. I have 3 solid SR's for my rotation and prefer to take my time and enjoy the relaxation of watching the slurry.
I'm not in a hurry so, this will take a few days to maybe a week. I have 3 solid SR's for my rotation and prefer to take my time and enjoy the relaxation of watching the slurry.
Similar threads
