Extra Fine Diamond Stone or Black Arkansas?

[George Farra]

Hi All,

I am currently using EZ LAP course and fine diamond stones. Off the fine stone (approx 600 grit) you definately need go to a strop to acheive a razor sharp edge. I'm considering adding an extra fine stone and was wondering which would give me a keener polished edge off the stone without stroping......a diamond stone or a black arkansas?

TIA

George

[David Weaver]

black arkansas will make a much finer edge, presuming you're sharpening something that is easily sharpened with arkansas stones.

I have the EF plate you're referring to and the 600 grit plate, too. The edge coming off of it is not a finished edge, but once it's broken in, it's an edge you could finish with anything (I've been following it with a slab of jasper).

I don't love stropping a diamond edge on a strop that doesn't have something on it (arkansas stone edges respond *very* well to bare leather, but deeper cutting abrasives don't so much).

In my opinion, you're cheating yourself if you don't do a light strop off of any stone that is any less keen than an 8k waterstone. Palm stropping is fine, or bare (but clean) leather.

[George Farra]

Thanks David. i should have added that all of my chisels and plane irons are either A2 or O1 steel. In fact the majority of my planes are all used Stanley's with original irons. If i understand your reply, the black arkansas will give me an edge that will require significantly less stroping than the extra fine diamond stone. Correct?

George

[David Weaver]

Yeah, the black would require much less stropping and respond better to it. Though if the strop is loaded with aluminum oxide or chromium oxide or diamond compound or whatever, it won't matter what the last stone was because its surface will be abraded off.

A black arkansas works fabulously with vintage stanley irons, and vintage irons in general. Newer irons that are hardened above 60, esp. if much above it, are not as nice on a black ark and they don't respond to bare leather as well, either (nor does diamond do much nice with them unless the diamonds are very small).

If you have an appreciable amount of A2, then the black stone will frustrate you. Certainly, the EF ezelap will work faster than the black stone, too. If you want a really keen edge, then the 1 micron variety of modern stones and the honing compounds powders, etc, are all hard to beat. It's going to be hard to skip stropping with anything short of a finish stone of some sort, and the natural finish stones aren't going to like A2.

[George Farra]

Thanks again. I think I will stick with the diamond stones and keep a stroping regiment into my sharpening.