Thread: My first Coticule

So a while ago I posted that I was in the market for a coticule and asking where I should buy it from. Well I finally bought one from a place. I got a "la dressante'' that was 40mmx125mm. I figured it wasn't to small and the price wasn't too bad. I am new to honing, only having the 4/8k setup and only honing 2 razors on that. So I played with the coticule when I finally got it. I took one of my vintage razors that I honed on the norton 4/8 and in my opinion delivered pretty good shaves from the norton and played with it on the cuticule. I lapped the coticule with my "I have no idea what grit but over 1000" diamond stone and as it was supposed to come already lapped it didn't take too much time. I read another post that the harder it is the finer of a finisher a coticule will be so I tried with all my might to scratch the coticule with my thumbnail. Nothing. I built up a slurry with a slurry stone that someone else had given me and just played around with the razor. Man did it turn gray quick. Like 5 laps and it was grey. So I did a few laps until the slurry started to dry and hold bubbles then I diluted it and repeated and kept doing this till the slurry was almost all gone. I know this wasn't necessary as it already had a shaving edge from the nortons but like I said, it was a cheaper vintage and I had bought it to learn honing with. After I had diluted the slurry till there was none left, I did 20 or so laps on just water. Then after that I did what most people will not and used some norton honing oil. I know I know but the stone is not at all porous so I figured soaking it in dish detergent water would get rid of the oil and it did. Well I did 20 or so laps on the oil. I then cleaned off the oil and shaved straight of the cuticule. No stropping or anything. I was impressed not only with myself for not screwing it up but with the stone most of all. I had heard that coticule shaves are super comfortable and (in my opinion on this one razor from this particular stone that I have used) it is true. So I figured if it was that good off the stone how well will it perform off a strop so I did like five laps on a CrOx strop and then my typical 100 on leather. I shaved with it the first time today after doing that and it was the most comfortable shave ever even doing ATG on the lip and neck I felt hardly anything. Then I put on my Pinaud Lime AS which I always dread because it burns and usually I will do an ice cub rub down and then alum before the AS because I am a wuss. Well I figured after such a smooth shave the irritation should be minimal so I went right to the AS and no burn at all. My jaw literally dropped. I put this in the hones section and not the honing section because I am praising the Coticule. No wonder it is such a widely used stone with adamant followers. Praise be to the coticule.

Originally Posted by cosperryan

So a while ago I posted that I was in the market for a coticule and asking where I should buy it from. Well I finally bought one from a place. I got a "la dressante'' that was 40mmx125mm. I figured it wasn't to small and the price wasn't too bad. I am new to honing, only having the 4/8k setup and only honing 2 razors on that. So I played with the coticule when I finally got it. I took one of my vintage razors that I honed on the norton 4/8 and in my opinion delivered pretty good shaves from the norton and played with it on the cuticule.

I lapped the coticule with my "I have no idea what grit but over 1000" diamond stone and as it was supposed to come already lapped it didn't take too much time. I read another post that the harder it is the finer of a finisher a coticule will be so I tried with all my might to scratch the coticule with my thumbnail. Nothing. I built up a slurry with a slurry stone that someone else had given me and just played around with the razor. Man did it turn gray quick. Like 5 laps and it was grey. So I did a few laps until the slurry started to dry and hold bubbles then I diluted it and repeated and kept doing this till the slurry was almost all gone.

I know this wasn't necessary as it already had a shaving edge from the nortons but like I said, it was a cheaper vintage and I had bought it to learn honing with. After I had diluted the slurry till there was none left, I did 20 or so laps on just water. Then after that I did what most people will not and used some norton honing oil. I know I know but the stone is not at all porous so I figured soaking it in dish detergent water would get rid of the oil and it did.

Well I did 20 or so laps on the oil. I then cleaned off the oil and shaved straight of the cuticule. No stropping or anything. I was impressed not only with myself for not screwing it up but with the stone most of all. I had heard that coticule shaves are super comfortable and (in my opinion on this one razor from this particular stone that I have used) it is true. So I figured if it was that good off the stone how well will it perform off a strop so I did like five laps on a CrOx strop and then my typical 100 on leather.

I shaved with it the first time today after doing that and it was the most comfortable shave ever even doing ATG on the lip and neck I felt hardly anything. Then I put on my Pinaud Lime AS which I always dread because it burns and usually I will do an ice cub rub down and then alum before the AS because I am a wuss. Well I figured after such a smooth shave the irritation should be minimal so I went right to the AS and no burn at all. My jaw literally dropped. I put this in the hones section and not the honing section because I am praising the Coticule. No wonder it is such a widely used stone with adamant followers. Praise be to the coticule.

I took the liberty of separating your quoted text to illustrate to you how much easier it is to read. At least for my old eyes.

Just hit the enter key at the end of a sentence and the cursor will drop down a line for the next line of text. I prefer that, YMMV.

Nice post about the coticule. I've also found it to be nice to use for an already shave ready edge. Even for an edge that is just bevel set if I want to put more work into it.

There ya go, just a bit of concentration on the finishing stages and you are rewarded with a great shave..


BUT


And that is a big but How do you know it was the Coticule that is to credit for the great shave and not you and your hands and progressing skills at using the hones ???

Damn there goes Glen complicating things again

Stones are just stones and hones are just hones the edge is built from the hands

Hey sorry jimmy, thanks. I will try writing my paragraphs better.

Well Glenn, I didn't want to give myself the credit because I am new to the honing part of straight shaving. I will admit that a hone is just a tool and is useless without skill. Just like a gun is just a stick if you don't know how to use it, a hone is just a rock in the wrong hands. The first time I ever honed a razor I was nervous because of the degree of discussion that is put into honing on this site. I read that "Art of Shaving" book from 1905. Theres a part in it where it says "Difficulty in doing something comes from the presumption that it is difficult" (loosely quoted). Once I got comfortable that I wasn't going to destroy the razor with my lack of skill I became relaxed and it was almost a natural feeling.

Next up is my Dovo which is my expensive one that I didn't want to mess up with lack of skill. Now that I feel comfortable I will be taking through the same steps as the previously mentioned razor and then send it out to someone to tell me where I can improve.

Don't be alarmed cosperryan if you see a bright amber light coming from the location where you store the coticule; it's just the coticule emitting all its greatness.

Don't store it in the bedroom, the amber light is too bright,,,it will keep you up all night.

You could try using Smith's Honing Solution (hot sure if it's available where you live), but that was a piece of advice that was given to me and it was a really good piece of advise AND Smith's Honing Solution is water clean up so it won't gum up your new Coti.

I don't know. I have heard of it but never seen it. The norton oil was at the home depot and I figured it was probably the same stuff. It does rinse away pretty easily with water but the soap makes it easier.