Thread: ONE COTICULE HONING

Great post Bart!! Thanks!

I have a couple questions.. First, I was wondering if you have any preference in soft, medium, or hard coticules, and if you have any experience with how each might affect this honing strategy?

Also, when you are setting the bevel with the 30 half x strokes at a time (step 3), do you mean we should do a "normal" forward honing stroke, then trace it back by backhoning? And is one normal forward followed by one backward backhoning stroke considered 1x such that we should do 30 times "forward" and 30 times backhoning per side, per 30?

Then, in steps 4/5/6, should we revert to flipping at every x stroke, per normal honing?

(I'm just trying to make sure I'm completely clear. I think it's a big ambiguous how it's currently written).

I absolutely love your theory on dulling before setting the bevel. Great thinking there. It may be common practice for some?, but it's the first I've heard of it, and it seems really brilliant! To guarantee the bevel is set.

I'll answer directly under your questions.

Originally Posted by pjrage

Great post Bart!! Thanks!

I have a couple questions.. First, I was wondering if you have any preference in soft, medium, or hard coticules, and if you have any experience with how each might affect this honing strategy?

On a fast Coticule you may need to reduce the lap count a bit, on slow ones you may want to augment them. I don't know how that relates to hardness. One should try 100's of Coticules to make any meaningful statement about how the hardness affects performance. Based on my limited experience, I think the hardness/softness differences are overrated.
The slurry should turn gray while honing at step 3. If it does, the Coticule will be good to go. With the slight pressure added and the back and forth motion, the vast majority of Coticules will work just fine.


Also, when you are setting the bevel with the 30 half x strokes at a time (step 3), do you mean we should do a "normal" forward honing stroke, then trace it back by backhoning? And is one normal forward followed by one backward backhoning stroke considered 1x such that we should do 30 times "forward" and 30 times backhoning per side, per 30?

Yes, that is a correct rephrasing of what I tried to explain. I believe Jimmy calls it "Japanese style" honing. Circles might work too, but I prefer the diagonal style of my explanation, because it covers the entire edge more evenly.

Then, in steps 4/5/6, should we revert to flipping at every x stroke, per normal honing?

Yes. And back off on the pressure.

(I'm just trying to make sure I'm completely clear. I think it's a big ambiguous how it's currently written).

I'm sorry about that. It would be easier for me to explain in Dutch.

I absolutely love your theory on dulling before setting the bevel. Great thinking there. It may be common practice for some?, but it's the first I've heard of it, and it seems really brilliant! To guarantee the bevel is set.

Thanks for reading it through. Should you decide to give it a try, please keep me posted.

Bart.