Thread: Coticule hones

Hi,

I consider ordering 2 Coticule stones from poland:

Ose
Which is a 200mm x 50mm 4000-6000 grit stone.

Ose
Which is a 175mm x 50mm 8000-10000 grit stone.

However. I can't find those same hones anywhere else, which I think is rather odd.

Please share your oppinion about those hones. Are they a good combo, etc.
I want to use them mainly to finish up my razor (alter maybe razors) again. I don't have the intension to restore vintage razors.

Erik

They are not Coticules, they are Belgian Blue whetstone (BBW)

Originally Posted by Martin103

They are not Coticules, they are Belgian Blue whetstone (BBW)

Is that a bad thing?

Originally Posted by metsie

Is that a bad thing?

If your going to use the stone for final finish, you dont want a BBW. 4000 grit + -.

I see. they are much cheaper.

I like the BBW as a finisher some times. Slower than coti bu, if you find the right BBW is will leave a keen smooth finish IMO and experience.

Would this be a good coticule hone?
http://www.ardennes-coticule.be/shop...0-x-50-mm.html

And would one Coticule hone be enough?

I like the BBW as a finisher some times.

Would 8000-10000 be enough for a finisher then?

One of the things that has become axiomatic on this topic is that it is generally inaccurate to apply a specific grit rating to natural stones across the board. To say that all BBWs are 4k, or coticules are 8k equivalents is painting them with too broad a brush.

In countless member's experiences, posted within this forum, there have been variations, sometimes wide, sometimes narrow, between what a member finds the performance of a natural to be visa vis grit rating. Obviously the grit rating is determined by comparing performance between the natural and a synthetic with a definite grit rating.

That said, in terms of BBW and 4k ....... a BBW may very well equal a 4k or better but a 4k is a sharpening stone, not a finishing stone. The abrasive in the Belgian stones is garnet. I read that the garnets in a BBW are larger than those in a coticule which accounts for the differences in results. On either of the stones I've had some outstanding performers and some dogs. You pays your money and you takes your chances.

At best a BBW will be far slower to get where you want to go than a Norton 4k or another synthetic equivalent, naniwa, shapton. All this is IME.

Originally Posted by metsie

Hi,

I consider ordering 2 Coticule stones from poland:

Ose
Which is a 200mm x 50mm 4000-6000 grit stone.

Ose
Which is a 175mm x 50mm 8000-10000 grit stone.

However. I can't find those same hones anywhere else, which I think is rather odd.

Please share your oppinion about those hones. Are they a good combo, etc.
I want to use them mainly to finish up my razor (alter maybe razors) again. I don't have the intension to restore vintage razors.

Erik

The first is a Belgian blue whetstone, the second a coticule. You don't need both for sharpening razors. The coticule is faster overall.

So far, all BBWs I've tried (ten I'd guess) gave me a shaving edge pretty much indistinguishable from a good coticule edge. They work according to the same principle as coticules, just quite a bit slower as they contain considerably less garnets per surface area (which is why tape comes in handy to bridge the gap). And they are dead slow on water, as in: they really don't do much on water only - finishing happens on a very light slurry.

They (BBWs) also make great splash and go stones as they auto-slurry like nothing else. I use them on kitchen and outdoor knives.

I'm not sure if you have synthetic or not but IME a Norton 4/8 and possibly a Naniwa 12k is a more reliable way to get where you want to go without "experimenting" with naturals (cheaper too in the end).
Unless messin with rocks is your thing
YMMV
Regards
Mike