Quote Originally Posted by pjrage View Post
I just got in an old vintage bbw/coticule glued combo I won on ebay recently. I lapped it up and I was anxious to put it to use, so I figured it was a great time to try out this method.

I grabbed a problem dubl duck that I've had for a while and haven't been using because it needs to be rehoned. When I was learning to hone, I had thought I got it sharp, didn't like the shave with it, set it aside, and now I'm back to it. I was actually surprised how dull it was considering I had thought it was shave ready when I finished honing it the first time, but I ran it over a beer bottle bottom anyway, which completely dulled it even faster than I expected.

I got to work with the method. I tried the 30/30 diagonal method and I was having a hard time with it, so I switched it up for the next 30 to just regular X's with moderate pressure. I guess this particular coticule is a fast cutter because after ~10 strokes the slurry starts to darken and by 30 it's nearly black. Because of this I refreshed the slurry pretty often. To be honest, I stopped counting 30 strokes at a time and just kept going at it, feeling it along the way and seeing how it shaved arm hair along the length of the blade, but if I had to guess, it was a total of around 120-150 strokes. The heel needed some real work as when I bought it there was uneven hone wear (there still is, in fact).

Anyway, I was able to get it shaving arm/leg hair effortlessly, so I moved on to a lighter slurry, 30 light strokes. Followed by the taped 30 strokes on an even lighter slurry (just about pure water), followed by 50 strokes with only water.

I have to say I was very surprised how sharp the edge was! Easily popping leg hair above the skin. I've never had much luck with the HHT, but this one was catching and popping hair just like the sharpest blades I like best. After stropping, it was even sharper. Definitely up to my current level of sharpness standards. I'm thinking it's going to give a great shave tomorrow morning.

I have to admit, I kind of enjoyed using just the one stone!

Thanks again for this great post, Bart! (And sorry this post was so detailed and long).
I tyed back and forth first time and normal x second time i felt more at home with normal x but as you found the hht passes straight of the hone it did for me.

Bart if i have a blade that is shaving ok could i tape spine and perform say 30 to 50 strokes on water with out having to start from dulling. for example say i've honed a blade up and it shaves but not outstanding with say bbw slurry/yellow water method which i realy like using because its realy easy and no messing around pluus i like using both. By the way i get very good results maintaining my edges. could i add one layer of tape hit the coti water and end up with same result. I would imagine this would be like adding a double bevel.

Like i said earlier i will try on my 7/8 flami which shaves good but not to the standard i'd like i no it could be better now my tortiose dovo is exallant i want all my razors to be that standard so i find my self comparing blade to blade now. in fact i will try adding one layer of tape to spine do 30 laps and see if the hht improves