it doesn’t seem that very many folks are as meticulous as us.
And there’s the rub. The Black Ark is used in different ways. Some people burnish the surface to round/smooth the novaculite there. Some use a flattening plate (or SiC powder) on the surface to create surface texture. I’m in the second camp. In neither case does the stone remove much material from a razor. Mostly, its scratch pattern creates a texture on the apex just like other finishing stones do. The Ark texture is finer than a coticule and not as even as the texture from a synthetic. To me, its feel is somewhere between a synthetic and a coticule. I haven’t done this, but I’ve been told that if you really push the edge on an Ark its appearance under the scope will be bad, but the feel will be amazing. I haven’t tried this yet, but I think that the edge will be quite fragile.
Oh, I don’t know. The slate stones are fun. The Black Shadow edge that I have on my TI is quite nice, and the stone, itself, has a wonderful feel. I want to try a La Lune (which I think will be the same), and a Thuringian.
I think that the Black Shadow and La Lune stones are both microcrystalline quartz. I can say that, so far, I like the edge off of my Black Shadow better than the two edges I have from my Black Ark. But … different razor types and different steels are involved.
And there’s the rub. The Black Ark is used in different ways. Some people burnish the surface to round/smooth the novaculite there. Some use a flattening plate (or SiC powder) on the surface to create surface texture. I’m in the second camp. In neither case does the stone remove much material from a razor. Mostly, its scratch pattern creates a texture on the apex just like other finishing stones do. The Ark texture is finer than a coticule and not as even as the texture from a synthetic. To me, its feel is somewhere between a synthetic and a coticule. I haven’t done this, but I’ve been told that if you really push the edge on an Ark its appearance under the scope will be bad, but the feel will be amazing. I haven’t tried this yet, but I think that the edge will be quite fragile.
My friend, you probably just saved me some money 🤣
Oh, I don’t know. The slate stones are fun. The Black Shadow edge that I have on my TI is quite nice, and the stone, itself, has a wonderful feel. I want to try a La Lune (which I think will be the same), and a Thuringian.
I’ve always been curious about La Lune’s myself. I don’t know that I’ve tried an edge off one, and general sentiment seems to be pretty positive
I think that the Black Shadow and La Lune stones are both microcrystalline quartz. I can say that, so far, I like the edge off of my Black Shadow better than the two edges I have from my Black Ark. But … different razor types and different steels are involved.