Thread: Arkansas Stones - Oil or water?

Originally Posted by TheCoticuleWhisperer

I'm tempted to try an ark to see if it would improve my edge from my coticules.

Said the man who jumped down a rabbit hole.

Hi Folks! Ive been away for awhile, was reviewing some old posts like this one! Finally ordered some Ballistol! cant wait to try it out!
Hope everyone is doing well! Its good to back!
Cam

Yea, Smiths or Ballistol, put it in a small plastic squeeze bottle that will deliver a drop at a time. I use a 1 oz plastic bottle that my wife had from a makeup sample. You only need a couple of drops.

If you do use oil, once your stones are clean, (soak in Awsome, or Simple green until any imbeded oil comes off), it is just a matter of washing the stones with dish soap to remove oil on the surface, will keep them clean and the oil from going rancid.

Ballistol is great for protecting razors for storage, a drop on a Qtip or on any leather. A few drops on a paper towel and rubbed into your strop every few months will keep it supple and clean off soap and air born grit.

Originally Posted by CamMorris

Hi Folks! Ive been away for awhile, was reviewing some old posts like this one! Finally ordered some Ballistol! cant wait to try it out!
Hope everyone is doing well! Its good to back!
Cam

Report back how it goes. I’ve been fooling around with a SB but I feel like I haven’t even approached the potential of the stone given all the stories I hear about Arkansas edges

Got the Ballistol the other day, very impressed with it so far, works great on the Arkies and is also wonderful for strop dressing, put a little on a paper towel and rubbed down my strop and it feels like new again!
If you havent tried this stuff you should! I got mine from Amazon a 16oz can with trigger sprayer was about 12 bucks, looks like it will go a long way! I like the fact that its water soluble, easy clean up and can be thinned with water also! Neat stuff!
Stay Sharp!

I cut mine 50-50 with water and spray on my Zulu Gray. Works great.

Check out Ballistol at ballistol.com
Its good for so many things!

Slawman

Oil. Always oil.

I can’t seem to get my edge very keen of an Arkansas. Have taken an edge to the 12k naniwa and then on to the Arkansas black and it seems to step the edge back to something similar off my 8k. Comfort is stellar but not as sharp as I like. Water seems to get it keen but not comfortable. Going to try the dry hone to oil progression and see how that goes.

Sorry if I’m hijacking, Cam, thought it appropriate though considering the thread.

How are the edges using ballistol? Up to this point I’ve used water, glycerin, dish soap, and Smith’s and varying viscosity with differing amounts of water.

How is the stone finished?

Sounds more like a stone face finish problem, not a lube issue. Make sure the edges are beveled or rounded, a sharp stone corner, can negate all the finish work you are doing in one stroke.

Post a pic of the razor and the stone.