Thread: New Chosera 1k and Coticule - A Couple of Questions from a Newbie

Hello all!

I've just purchased a Chosera 1k as a bevel setter to go along with my coticule. I am very new to honing and I have a couple of questions regarding this set up.

1. Does the Chosera need to be lapped upon receipt? If so, what is a good lapping option?

2. After setting the bevel on the 1k stone, can I go straight to the coticule with water only or is the dilucot method needed?

3. If I do need a slurry, what consistency am I looking for right when coming off the 1k to the coticule?

4. Should i be diluting the slurry my periodically adding water or will the razor breakdown the slurry on its own? Combination of both?

Thanks very much for the help! I definitely need it!

Number 1 rule for new hones is to lap them flat, check with a pencil grid.

The rest of your questions really depend on your coticule. I have one that I could do pure water after a 1k and get a decent edge pretty fast. Slower the stone, slurry may be necessary.

The consistency and the frequency of dilutions is also an oft discussed subject. Its pretty subjective and the stones qualities will govern it.

I would set the bevel and start simple with water only and try to get a good edge. Then add in things to complicate matters later

Going from 1k to Coticule, yes, you'll need to do slurry strokes. Gotta get those 1k striations out. An intermediate stone would be helpful before the Coticule, say a 4K or 5k. Less work for the Coticule to do. Even after an intermediate stone, slurry will be needed to progress before plain water. (Watch drmatt357 YouTube series, 4 videos).

The thickness or consistency should be like milk, as one showed me. As it thickens up add a drop or two of water. As the blade begins to grab (you'll know when you feel it), move on to plain water. With plain water, do as many strokes as are needed to achieve that grabbing sensation. Then you're likely done.

The Chosera and Coticule should be lapped and checked for flatness. The typical grid lap method using a diamond plate such as DMT 325 or Atoma 400 would be fine. The stones you have chosen lap fairly quickly so it wont be too much trouble to get them flat. If a diamond plate is not available you may use a coarse W/D sand paper on a known flat surface such as a granite tile from home depot or something similar. If you want to hone using the Coticule straight from the 1k bevel setter I would use a thick slurry to start and refine the edge using dilucot. Many folks use coticules in many ways, some take the edge up with synthetics to 5 or 8 k then just finish with no slurry or a start with a thin slurry and fnish on water only. Others do variations on this theme using more or less slurry depending on where your at with the edges refinement. Something that will take some experimentation on your part. If your goal is to do a one stone hone with a Coticule it will be a bit more work with slurry dilutions to get to the same finish. I think using a Coticule to do the whole progression from 1k may be more challenging for new honers as your stones quirks will have to be understood. It may be helpful to go backwards meaning try to finish the razor on water only after a synthetic progression to see if you can achieve a smooth shaving edge before learning the full dilucot system. I say this only because its easier to identify at what stage your honing may have gone wrong and whether or not you can actually get a fine enough finished edge with your particular stone. All Coticules are not created equal there is some variance in their performance so testing its finishing capabilities is important before jumping into the void so to speak.

Yes it can be done easily even on my Coti which is NOT good as anything but a finisher

One little hint You should be able to shave off the 1K BEFORE you go to the Coti yes really

http://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...-1k-shave.html


As to 1 stone honing take a look here for some hints and tricks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grJhZdo3wYI

Hone On

Not a lover of a coticule as the answer to getting shaving edges from a newcomer to honing. That being said you have lots of choices, and good luck with coticules. As far as lapping is concerned you can fudge along sandpaper of varying grits, on granite tiles. Simplify it and buy a lapping plate such as a DMT325 or my choice is the Atoma 400. ( I also have a Atoma #600 and #1200.) Note though that manufacturers dont recommend using the #1200 to lap fine hard stones, although many , members get along fine doing it. Also it, the lappig plate is just as good to raise a slurry on the coticule, and IMHO the stone performs better after it has had its surface disrupted, revealing fresh stone.

So as an update, I managed to get the edge to the point where it is cutting arm hair very well both with the growth and against the growth patterns. However, when I attempt a HHT I am having no success what so ever. I also am not having any success with the test on my other razors, which were professionally honed recently. How could I be going wrong? What is the proper way to do the test? I think I can shave with the razor but I would like to see some HHT results first.

Thanks so much!

I never was able to do the HHT with any success. It can vary with where the hair came from. Even testing arm hair is for "poops and chuckles" for me, the hair is nowhere as thick as my beard. The "Thumb Pad Test" is typically recommended for consistency and will be easier to calibrate with known edges.

It's funny you mention the source of the hair. My wife's hairbrush hairs yield no result at all, where my beard hairs from my beard brush actually work. I can't figure out why one does and one doesn't. But knowing it's not the end all end all test makes me feel better about a shave test.

All non-shaving tests are at best inconclusive. Only the shave test will give accurate performance results. So put the blade to the face and see how you did.