Thread: Flaky Coti

Hiya fellas,

a question, I have a couple coticules that don't have a crack, but more or so that the coticule seems to be flaking?

Anyone knows if this is a potential danger for the edge or safe? I could hone in such a fashion whereas I'm not honing 'inwards' to it, but go over it from the good side; but I'm wary
I've tried lapping it out, but that didn't help

Preciate any feedback, thanks !

Have the same here...if you check you sometimes can see those little hairline cracks going thru the sides...if the crack if big enough or stand over the average high it can hurt the edge if youre moving towards that crack....

Originally Posted by doorsch

Have the same here...if you check you sometimes can see those little hairline cracks going thru the sides...if the crack if big enough or stand over the average high it can hurt the edge if youre moving towards that crack....

I have one where it goes through the entire stone into the BBW part as well, not on this one
But I think I'll just stay away from these surfaces, on my cotis with cracks I just outline them with a pencil and hone around the cracks, or short of them

I'll keep this coti for it's BBW side mostly

Thanks doorsch!

I had one too and it was detrimental to the edge. I lapped and lapped and lapped. Had to remove about 3 or 4mm but still enough stone left.

Originally Posted by Frankenstein

I had one too and it was detrimental to the edge. I lapped and lapped and lapped. Had to remove about 3 or 4mm but still enough stone left.

Aha, that is very interesting, I might as well try it, otherwise it will be mostly unused anyway, thanks!

Usually if any rock is flaking like that it was probably close to the rock face and exposed to the elements and what you have is weathering. A rock like that should be sent back IMHO.

It can be really bad news. I've had material with fissures like that spontaneously release

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Usually if any rock is flaking like that it was probably close to the rock face and exposed to the elements and what you have is weathering. A rock like that should be sent back IMHO.

As always, you are right bigspendur. Coticule is a very vulnerable type or rock to the elements. BBW not so much. Visiting the quarry, we saw tons of coticule laying around, yet all of them were useless as a hone. Beautiful, big pieces that looked flawless, yet were crumbling into sand and flakes if you picked them up. Even as little as a year or two of exposed stone are enough to make it unsuitable as a hone. We could collect pieces, but nobody left with anything big enough that couldn't fit in a pocket. With Mr. Maurice permission of course.

Sometimes you can alleviate the problem with CA. Get the very thin stuff like water and dribble it into the crack. Then place a piece of waxed paper over it and clamp something flat over the top until it dries, then relap the stone. I've done this on one or two problem spots with good results. You might have to reapply the CA after many lappings if it doesn't penetrate all the way to the bottom of the fissure.

Thanks for the feedback fellas, this is on 'old' coticule, that I got quite a while ago off an auction site
otherwise that would definitely gotten sent back.