Thread: Coti vs Escher

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

It is about finding what you like. Once you do, and you're satisfied, it is just curiosity, or acquisition disorder after that. I like both, but give the edge to the Escher (pun intended)

From A.B. Moler's Barber Manual, circa 1929 ;

Personally, I have no preference, I enjoy the edges from both, but agree, I would give the "edge" to the Escher.

On another note of interest, I was just rummaging around my razor stuff and had a look at my Swaty Barber hone....it's called, "The Swaty" and on the box and the instructions, it says it was made by Droescher??? Did they make barber hones as well? A Barber's Hone with an Escher edge???

Originally Posted by Phrank

Personally, I have no preference, I enjoy the edges from both, but agree, I would give the "edge" to the Escher.

On another note of interest, I was just rummaging around my razor stuff and had a look at my Swaty Barber hone....it's called, "The Swaty" and on the box and the instructions, it says it was made by Droescher??? Did they make barber hones as well? A Barber's Hone with an Escher edge???

Droescher was a distributor. They never 'made' anything AFAIK, just had products made with their brand, by other MFGs. The 'escher' in Droescher bears no relation to the JG Escher & Sohn company ...... AFAIK.

It is not the coti vs thuri batle . The real deal is a coti and after thuri - and the best edge is achieved .
Very few coticules are capable of giving edge , near thuringian . I have 2 of them already but every thuri gives a dream edge .

I have two Escher . "Сoti" but there is one small. In my experience, it turns out that a finishing stone still Escher. But the stones at people may be different, and so the result can be different, too.

Originally Posted by rideon66

I believe you are correct with the linen. I happen to be looking at a vintage thuri that was boxed and in the instructions it said never strop on linen afterward only on leather.

This is an interesting debate. So much so that the 1961 barber manual PDF in the SRP library help files mentions that some barbers prefer to strop on linen before leather, and some do not. The manual recommended stropping on leather only following the hones, and on linen and leather between shaves.

Say that it is interesting because even 50 years ago, in a professional barber manual, there was a difference of opinion. Some things never change. I used to always strop linen/leather even following the hones, but began doing leather only for a long while. Speaking to one of the foremost honemiesters, he said that even after honing he does linen/leather, so I began going back to that.

Lately I don't hone enough to come to a firm conclusion. When I was honing often, and tried it both ways, I can't recall thinking one way was better than the other.

So I decided if I could find a thuri that didn't cost too much I would try one following a coticule. So I found thuri brand not much info on it out there and almost won it lost by a dollar(someone got a steal), but it showed the instructions and I remembered what was said here and so I thought I should share. I always strop on both linen and leather after a coti, but want to try a thuri after a coti leather only and see what that does.

Never mind if is Esher , Droesher , celebrated ..... if it is a old thuringian grab and runn . If doesnt cost you a leg or arm or both . Or a we say here a square meter of skinn and a litre of blood .
When you find it you will understand that there is no batle indeed .

A Coticule is a honing 'system' to me, while an Escher is a finisher. Seems apples to oranges. I have never been a big Coti fan, unless on really old blades. I think you must be a big honing enthusiast to master the coticule. Escher is a wonderful finisher, for old blades and most modern. Modern steels seem to have a need for synthetics right up to the Escher to gain any of the Escher smoothness. I also think that any excessive pasted stropping following finishing on the Escher and before the fabric/leather will negate some of the benefits of an Escher edge. This is, of course, from my personal experience. YMMV

Originally Posted by sharptonn

A Coticule is a honing 'system' to me, while an Escher is a finisher. Seems apples to oranges. I have never been a big Coti fan, unless on really old blades. I think you must be a big honing enthusiast to master the coticule. Escher is a wonderful finisher, for old blades and most modern. Modern steels seem to have a need for synthetics right up to the Escher to gain any of the Escher smoothness. I also think that any excessive pasted stropping following finishing on the Escher and before the fabric/leather will negate some of the benefits of an Escher edge. This is, of course, from my personal experience. YMMV

All of my blades are old. Starting in about 1770 till about 1925. More than half are old Sheffield wedge. I only ever learned on a coti and want to see what a thuri can do on top of that if anything. I already know an escher is at least as good as my coti, but I was missing some info at that time. So if a coti is a system and an escher/thuri is afinisher then logic has it one should follow the other with improved results.

Originally Posted by rideon66

All of my blades are old. Starting in about 1770 till about 1925. More than half are old Sheffield wedge. I only ever learned on a coti and want to see what a thuri can do on top of that if anything. I already know an escher is at least as good as my coti, but I was missing some info at that time. So if a coti is a system and an escher/thuri is afinisher then logic has it one should follow the other with improved results.

I am certainly not implying that a Coti is not a finisher. Using many techniques, some can begin, and then arrive at a super-fine edge on them. Certainly this is not the Escher's forte, as it is for finishing/refreshing only
For my limited ability on the coticule, Escher does improve the edge.
Again, YMMV!