Thread: Advice on purchasing a coticule

I did go to Ardennes website earlier today and seen the 6x2 and thought that would be the size that I would go with. For this purchase I planned on staying off eBay due to you never know what you might get from there. I've have had a few problems on razors there. And a few really good finds.

Yea, the current offerings on ebay are kinda iffy. Too small for honing (for me), over priced or look like off cuts from edges of layers.

2x6 is a good size to start out on. I would avoid bouts for now, rectangles are easier to transition to IMHO.

What about the Superior Shave? I ask for Paul's sake and my own.
I will eventually try a Coti (and JNat) after I conquer my Nani 12K.

He's seems like a good dude from lurking on some other forums. I usually like to go to the source so Ardennes makes sense...just taking notes for myself while Paul is on his quest.

It would be cool to have the cash to start a "honing" club (I came to the game late but I think cuticule.be had that type thing going.
But I'm thinking like every stone of every nature for SR.
Pay like a low yearly fee, shipping to you and back for the stones, and replace any broken ones. Like Netflix maybe call it...

"HONEFIX"

Sorry to derail the thread. Had a back procedure and I'm on a Percocet high.
Jer

Honefix sounds like a good idea, but man that would take some serious cash to get that going. I'll check out the superior shave to see what they have to offer. But what I would really like is to have a place to physically look at the different items available. Only one store that I have been able to find here is the art of shaving.

If you go with Superior Shave be careful not to get a Les Petas as I know they had plenty of them. I've heard some people get good edges from them but the feel of the feedback (bumpy gravel) can be very off-putting and it's really different from other coticules so not the best to learn on.

I am kind of late to this party, but I thought I'd put my two cents worth in, just the same.

When I purchased my Coticule hone, probably some 15 years ago, I don't recall there being "grades" of coticules. As others have mentioned, yes there is variability from hone to hone and it's very much a crap shoot as to what you get.... Then there is the the issue of *learning* the hone you get.... Many a gent has given up on a hone, thinking it's no good, only to sell it off to someone else who takes the time and effort to learn the ways of that particular hone and they sometimes even exclaim it's the best hone they have ever bought! But, there is the chance that the hone can be a dog.... it's a natural stone, after all.

I was having a terrible time getting my razors sharp and smooth enough on my Norton hones.... the coticule I purchased instantly bumped those edges up for me.... then I started using Shapton glass hones and got better edges yet, the coti got placed on the shelf and gathered dust. Along comes a young fellow who wants to hone razors and I help him out a bit. He finds a small coticule in a fleamarket setting for $10 and says he's getting great edges from it. I gave him one of my junk box razors and asked him to hone it up on that coticule and let me try the edge. When I shaved with that razor..... well... the student surpassed the teacher, and gave me a new found respect for the coticule. I dug out my old coticule and this time I had something to shoot for and I was able to duplicate that edge.... but it took some figuring out and I could not use the method he used with his coticule.

Purchase your hone from a respected dealer, chances are it will be fine. As for grade..... I honestly do not know what I would do today, but I can say that the coticule I have, would not be rated as a select hone... it's rather dull coloured, not butter yellow like some are.


Good luck

Christian