Thread: What exactly is a coticule and how do I use it?

I get a lot of razor burn when I shave and someone recommended I look into getting a coticule for a sharper razor. What exactly is a coticule and how do I use it? I read the wiki but it still left me pretty confused...

It's sedimentary rock with a natural garnet content. There are various ways to get the best out of them, with the use of slurry or water alone. The actual honing technique is the same as for all the other stones. No time now, i'm afraid, but i'll try to sort you some links out.

A coticule is a naturally occuring whetstone from Belgium. It's sharpening media is naturally embedded garnets. The really cool thing about the garnets are that they are kinda soccer ball shaped, which means they make very smooth scratch marks in the steel.

Even though most people rate coticules at about 8k grit, there really isn't any comparison; take a read around here, and you'll see that most people obtain an edge much finer off of a coticule than they can from an 8k stone.

Make yourself a fresh pot of coffee, then do a search for "coticule" here, and enjoy!

You might find these two articles in our Wiki useful:

Belgian Hones - Straight Razor Place Wiki

A simple honing method with DMT-E , Belgian Blue Whetstone and Coticule - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Coticule in shapton holder:

If you can afford it get one with a blue backing instead of the slate. Sometimes known as a natural if it is cut from the rock that way and sometimes two pieces glued. Much more versatile IMHO. The normal coticule will be less expensive with the slate backing and that is fine too but you can only hone on the yellow side. Get a slurry stone too.

I am a great fan of coticule stones but I want to inform you that your shaving technique must be better for no razor burn with a shave ready razor and not the finishing stone you use for it.

I thought it was that skin membrane between your normal skin and fingernail.

Red

A coticule is a yellowish stone quarried in southeastern Belgium. The stone is in the metamorphic class of stones and was changed via heat and pressure from a sedimentary stone. It has a lot of garnet crystals in it that are roughly the same size and evenly dispersed throughout the stone. It's generally considered to be an 8000 grit stone and is used as a finishing hone. The soft mud (phyllite) that holds the garnets will yield to pressure and forms a slurry on the surface of the stone. The slurry has tiny particles of garnet in it and that's what cuts the steel and polishes it. They have been the standard for barbers around the world for a few hundred years. It's a very forgiving stone in that you can't overhone on it and it gives wonderful feedback to your hands. They also aren't porous and so don't "load" with slurry and steel like more porous stones such as the Norton and Arkansas stones.

It is a natural stone used to sharpen edged implements. You use it like any other water stone.