Thread: In the market for a coti.

So I am in the market for my first coti. Never had one nor any other natural. Any places besides ebay and amazon to look before buying. I been to thesuperiorshave.com and I will probably buy from them as they are also located in Florida and shipping shouldn't be that bad or take to long. Oh yeah I am wanting to get a bout as to save some money. I would like to be around the $150 range but can possibly go to the 200 mark if its really nice.

Howard, not me, is very knowledgable on coticules and easy to work with and will help you. He has some in stock, it looks like. He's also a SRP member. My favorite coticule came from him. Just tell him what you want the stone to do. Slow/fast, finisher, etc.

Belgians | The Perfect Edge



Regards,

Howard

Originally Posted by cosperryan

So I am in the market for my first coti. Never had one nor any other natural. Any places besides ebay and amazon to look before buying. I been to thesuperiorshave.com and I will probably buy from them as they are also located in Florida and shipping shouldn't be that bad or take to long. Oh yeah I am wanting to get a bout as to save some money. I would like to be around the $150 range but can possibly go to the 200 mark if its really nice.

I have bought a few coticules from Jarrod at the superior shave - it is nice to see pictures of the actual stones. Also he packages well and ships fast.
Another option is direct from Ardennes http://www.ardennes-coticule.be/shop/en/

A #8 or #9 bout is definitely the best value.

I ask you this, do you know how to hone?

I pretty much know your answer by your question. Most of us don't recommend learning to hone on a natural as each and every stone is different, just as you are different from me. None of us can trouble shoot for you on naturals, we can come close, but never be exact. If you were honing on one of the big three synthetics (Naniwa, Norton, Shapton) then we could troubleshoot any issues you may be having. I'm not saying it can't be done, but it could be a bumpy road.

If my presumption is wrong, I sincerely apologize.

Shooter74743, your not wrong but your not right. I am still wet behind the ears but not a hundred percent novice. I do already have a norton combo and I have honed a vintage razor that had a nick and a smile with it and a Dovo. The Dovo is brand new and the hone job i did was what I would call decent and you would maybe call tolerable, it did take a while for me to get the pressure right though. I shaved with it straight off the 8k and then off the strop the next day to see any difference there was some but once I used the CrOx the third day it was much smoother. The vintage smiling was alot trickier however. I did get the nick out using a 1200 grit that I have had forever for my kitchen knives. The heel of the vintage smiling was where I had the most trouble just getting it even with the rest of the bevel as it was uneven when I received it but only by a very small amount. I am still working on that one though. Basically why I am wanting to buy a coticule now is that I have some extra money that I know I will end up spending it on something else that has less usefulness (probably ammo and God knows I have enough of that). I am definitely not going to be blowing off the 4/8 once I get the coticule. On the contrary, I will not even touch the coticule until I feel like I get a good edge off the 4/8 and I will most likely send it off the Larry at the whipped dog to evaluate it and see how it truly is to the experienced eye. I have read so much on this site and the advice that I have put to good use has helped immensely.

Edit: oh yeah no need to apologize. I am definitely still new.

Did you see this one in the classifieds?

Coticule - Straight Razor Place Classifieds

I did actually as well as the blue spotted coticule. They are a little narrow for my experience level but my 1200 grit is only 10 mm wider. So maybe it won't be that much of a hassle to get used to the width. They are under consideration.

Sounds like you are using that space between your ears well & that's refreshing. I really like that you aren't afraid to send a blade off to someone to have it evaluated. Don't just rely on Larry, there are quite a few guys around here and pretty close to you who could evaluate your blade for you as well. I have gone through about 5 coticules so far and have yet to find one that satisfies me...I hope your quest is better than mine.

Oh yeah I am wanting to get a bout as to save some money

As to the price difference between bouts and regular sized hones, I noticed that per square cm the price is mostly the same! I don't think you'll be saving much buying a bout.

Since most Coti's require you to do quite a bit of honing, I'd look for a 6x2 or better if you can. I'd stay away from the bouts, unless it's a No.9 or 10. I used to be a vendor for Ardennes. I bought my stones from Howard or Ardennes in Belgium. Pm me.

If I can help, let me know. I'd also be glad to check out your razor for you. If you like, I can hone it up for you on a Coticule, sort of try it before you buy it.